What's in Your Surname?: The Fascinating Story of British Surnames
What's in Your Surname?: The Fascinating Story of British Surnames

Author: William Lewis

Publisher: Brazen Head Publishing

Published: 2014-01-04

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13:

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Have you ever thought about your own surname? Wondered about the stories behind them, especially if they are unusual? This Amazon NUMBER 1 BESTSELLING BOOK (Genealogy) tells the engaging story of when our surnames first came into use, why they were necessary and how people acquired them. After spending decades writing and researching the history of names, William Lewis presents in ‘What’s in your Surname?’ a journey through the quite diverse origins of English surnames citing hundreds of examples along the way. On this engaging journey you will discover the origin of last names, from disparaging nicknames to saints’ names and how history has shaped the creation of and evolution of surnames. There have been many books with surnames as their theme: dictionaries of surnames, books about unusual surnames, heraldry, researching family history and so forth, but very few look at British history solely through surnames. From Baker, Barratt and Bell through to Belcher, Blanchflower and Bugg, William Lewis covers the history of commonplace and exotic surnames in equal measure. A joy to read whether cover-to-cover or dipped into as a treasury of sources, ‘What’s in your Surname?’ offers an engaging, vivid and revealing historical portrait of English surnames - and the unique and diverse places from whence they came. Read 'What’s in your Surname?' today to discover the fascinating origins of hundreds of English surnames

What's in a Surname?
What's in a Surname?

Author: David McKie

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2013-08-29

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1448149053

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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Surnames are much more than convenient identity tags; they are windows into our families’ pasts. Some suggest ancestral trades (Butcher, Smith, Roper) or physical appearance (Long, Brown, Thynne). Some provide clues to where we come from (McDonald, Evans, Patel). And some – Rymer, Brocklebank, Stolbof – offer a hint of something just a little more exotic or esoteric. All are grist to the mill for David McKie who, in What’s in a Surname?, sets off on a journey around Britain to find out how such appellations have evolved and what they tell us about ourselves. En route he looks at the surname’s tentative beginnings in medieval times, and the myriad routes by which particular names became established. He considers some curious byways: the rise and fall of the multi-barrel surname and the Victorian reinvention of ‘embarrassing’ surnames among them. He considers whether fortune favours those whose surnames come at the beginning of the alphabet. And he celebrates the remarkable and the quirky, from the fearsome Ridley (the cry of which once struck terror in the hearts of their neighbours) to the legend-encrusted Tichborne, whose most famous holders were destined to suffer misfortune and controversy. Elegiac and amusing by turns, he offers a wonderfully entertaining wander along the footpaths of the nation’s history and culture, celebrating not just the Smiths and Joneses of these islands but the Chaceporcs and Swetinbeddes, too.

Great British Family Names and Their History
Great British Family Names and Their History

Author: John Moss

Publisher: Pen and Sword History

Published: 2020-02-19

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781526751553

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For better or worse, what we are is often determined by our family; the events that occurred many years before we were born, and the choices that were made by our forebears are our inheritance - we are the inexorable product of family history. So it is with nations. The history of Great Britain has been largely defined by powerful and influential families, many of whose names have come down to us from Celtic, Danish, Saxon or Norman ancestors. Their family names fill the pages of our history books; they are indelibly written into the events which we learned about at school. Iconic family names like Wellington, Nelson, Shakespeare, Cromwell, Constable, De Montfort and Montgomery... there are innumerable others. They reflect the long chequered history of Britain, and demonstrate the assimilation of the many cultures and languages which have migrated to these islands over the centuries, and which have resulted in the emergence of our language. This book is a snapshot of several hundred such family names and delves into their beginnings and derivations, making extensive use of old sources, including translations of The Domesday Book and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, as well as tracing many through the centuries to the present day.

Surnames, DNA, and Family History
Surnames, DNA, and Family History

Author: George Redmonds

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2011-08-25

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 0199582645

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This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and show the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. The book will be welcomed by all those engaged in genealogical research, including everyone seeking to discover the histories of their names and families.

What's in an English Place-name?
What's in an English Place-name?

Author: William Lewis

Publisher: Brazen Head Publishing

Published: 2023-04-28

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13:

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Wondering how British place-names came into existence? Discover the meanings behind the names of England's towns and villages from the author of the bestselling ‘What’s in your Surname?’ After spending decades researching and writing about the history of names, William Lewis turns his attention to English place-names, offering a comprehensive guide to the fascinating origins of such names as Birdoswald, Jodrell Bank, California (Norfolk), Westward Ho! and Giggleswick - and many, many more. In this engaging and entertaining volume, you will discover: • the origins of place-names from earliest times to the present day • the five classifications of place-names • an extensive list of place-names in England taken from the Bible • how personal names, tribal names and even names of gods have featured in English place-names • and how the Romans and other invading forces shaped the place-names of England If you want to follow an absorbing and entertaining trail through the history of English place-names then you will certainly enjoy William Lewis’s detailed look behind the scenes at how England’s villages, towns and cities acquired their names. Read What’s in a Place-name? today to discover the origins of hundreds of place-names in England.

Origins of English Surnames
Origins of English Surnames

Author: Joslin Fiennes

Publisher: Robert Hale Ltd

Published: 2017-05-31

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0719824443

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Surnames carry the history of people in a very personal way. In England, surnames were mostly established by the end of the fourteenth century - by ordinary people, for ordinary people. Uniquely, surnames describe medieval lives not captured by any other record. They tell us what these people did, where they went, what they noticed and give clues about their culture and memories. This book examines the origins of English surnames, looking at: occupational names; locational names, or names that record places; nicknames and personal names; names from the Continent; and symbolic names. Where genealogists and etymologists focus on single names, this book takes groups of names and explores what these say about the society that created them. In 'The Origins of English Surnames' you will find the English people at a key moment in history, revealing the way they spoke, the jokes they made, and their memories of ancient cultures - all at a time when land-based feudalism was crumbling and people sought better lives.

The Son Also Rises
The Son Also Rises

Author: Gregory Clark

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2015-08-25

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0691168377

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"How much of our fate is tied to the status of our parents and grandparents? How much does this influence our children? More than we wish to believe! While it has been argued that rigid class structures have eroded in favor of greater social equality, The Son Also Rises proves that movement on the social ladder has changed little over eight centuries. Using a novel technique -- tracking family names over generations to measure social mobility across countries and periods -- renowned economic historian Gregory Clark reveals that mobility rates are lower than conventionally estimated, do not vary across societies, and are resistant to social policies. The good news is that these patterns are driven by strong inheritance of abilities and lineage does not beget unwarranted advantage. The bad news is that much of our fate is predictable from lineage. Clark argues that since a greater part of our place in the world is predetermined, we must avoid creating winner-take-all societies."--Jacket.

The Encyclopedia of American Last Names
The Encyclopedia of American Last Names

Author: Nancy J. Price

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 9781944633769

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Find out how the names were formed, and get unique insights about the families who carried the names hundreds of years ago. A collection like no other. You'll find countless threads connecting people and places, gain new perspectives on topics covered in history books, and pick up some interesting trivia. Most important of all, it might be able to illuminate your own family heritage, or provide starting points for your own genealogical journey. It all starts with our not-so-simple heritage of last names -- things that really only came into existence a couple dozen generations ago. By understanding the stories behind these names, we can learn not just about our own lineage, but get a whole new perspective on many of the real flesh-and-blood people who walked this early long before us, and who have made it possible for us to stand here today.