What's in a Surname?

What's in a Surname? PDF

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.

What's in a Name?

What's in a Name? PDF

Author: Susan Osborn

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 1999-11

Total Pages: 741

ISBN-13: 0671025554

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For each name Osborn provides a history, number, astrological sign, color, stone, element, and herb.

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland PDF

Author: Patrick Hanks

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-11-17

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 0192527479

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Containing entries for more than 45,000 English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish, and immigrant surnames, The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland is the ultimate reference work on family names of the UK. The Dictionary includes every surname that currently has more than 100 bearers. Each entry contains lists of variant spellings of the name, an explanation of its origins (including the etymology), lists of early bearers showing evidence for formation and continuity from the date of formation down to the 19th century, geographical distribution, and, where relevant, genealogical and bibliographical notes, making this a fully comprehensive work on family names. This authoritative guide also includes an introductory essay explaining the historical background, formation, and typology of surnames and a guide to surnames research and family history research. Additional material also includes a list of published and unpublished lists of surnames from the Middle Ages to the present day.

A Dictionary of First Names

A Dictionary of First Names PDF

Author: Patrick Hanks

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2006-07-27

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 0191578541

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This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. The fascinating and informative Dictionary of First Names covers over 6,000 names in common use in English, including the very newest names as well as traditional names. From Alice to Zanna and Adam to Zola this book will answer all your questions: it will tell you the age, origin, and meaning of the name, as well as how it has fared in terms of popularity, and who the famous fictional or historical bearers for the name have been. It covers alternative spellings, short forms and pet forms, and masculine and feminine forms, as well as help with pronunciation. The book includes extensive appendices covering names from languages including Scottish, Irish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, and Chinese names. Tables of the most popular names by year and by region are also included. From the traditional to the rare and unconventional, this book will tell you everything you need to know about names.

What's in a Name? History and Meaning of Wyckoff

What's in a Name? History and Meaning of Wyckoff PDF

Author: M. William Wykoff

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2014-07-23

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781500379957

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The cumulative evidence presented here proves that the origin of the surname Wyckoff is Frisian and refers to a household or settlement on a bay, although many uninformed American descendants of Pieter Claessen Wyckoff continue to believe the name to be Dutch. Frisian was only one of the many languages spoken by early settlers of New Netherland. In the Northern Germanic linguistic area of Europe, the surname occurs principally in the Lower Saxony area of Germany which includes East Frisia from where our American ancestor emigrated. Amid the proliferation of costly false and inaccurate information being disseminated on popular interactive genealogy websites, the author suggests corrective measures that could be taken by professional genealogical societies and family associations such as the Wyckoff Association of America.

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland PDF

Author: Kay Muhr

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-10-19

Total Pages: 2365

ISBN-13: 019252478X

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The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland contains more than 3,800 entries covering the majority of family names that are established and current in Ireland, both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland. It establishes reliable and accurate explanations of historical origins (including etymologies) and provides variant spellings for each name as well as its geographical distribution, and, where relevant, genealogical and bibliographical notes for family names that have more than 100 bearers in the 1911 census of Ireland. Of particular value are the lists of early bearers of family names, extracted from sources ranging from the medieval period to the nineteenth century, providing for the first time, the evidence on which many surname explanations are based, as well as interesting personal names, locations and often occupations of potential family forbears. This unique Dictionary will be of the greatest interest not only to those interested in Irish history, students of the Irish language, genealogists, and geneticists, but also to the general public, both in Ireland and in the Irish diaspora in North America, Australia, and elsewhere.

The Surnames of Scotland

The Surnames of Scotland PDF

Author: George F. Black

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Published: 2022-03-03

Total Pages: 2181

ISBN-13: 1788852966

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First published by the New York Public Library in 1946, Black's The Surnames of Scotland has long established itself as one of the great classics of genealogy. Arranged alphabetically, each entry contains a concise history of the family in question (with many cross-references), making it an indispensable tool for those researching their own family history, as well as readers with a general interest in Scottish history. An informative introduction and glossary also provide much useful information.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain PDF

Author: Harry Parkin

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2021-06-03

Total Pages: 1024

ISBN-13: 9780198868255

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The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain provides information on almost all names with more than 30 bearers in the UK 2011 census, based on the latest research. Each of the around 43,500 entries covers the name's etymology, variants, frequency, and historical and geographical distribution.

Everyday Sociology Reader

Everyday Sociology Reader PDF

Author: Karen Sternheimer

Publisher:

Published: 2020-04-15

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780393419481

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Innovative readings and blog posts show how sociology can help us understand everyday life.

The Study of Names

The Study of Names PDF

Author: Frank Nuessel

Publisher: Greenwood

Published: 1992-09-30

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13:

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An introduction and research guide to onomastics, this book covers the major areas of name study in individual chapters on personal names, place names, acronyms, brand names and trade names. Every topic comprises a discussion of underlying principles as well as numerous illustrative examples.