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

Lewis, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0956510604 ISBN 13: 9780956510600

Publisher: Brazen Head Publishing, 2010

Synopsis

This book tells the engaging story of when our surnames first came into use, why they were necessary and how people acquired them. At some point we all consider our surnames - many of us will wonder about the stories behind them, especially if they are unusual. Those of us with British surnames possess that magic thread which leads back nearly a thousand years to a time when surnames were a new idea on this side of the English Channel. 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 there are few books which look at British history solely through surnames. Although the origins of the majority of British surnames lie in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, the author shows that the near-Continent, especially France, has contributed its share too. The author has provided accounts of over 2000 of our surnames. Within this book the reader will find the answers to many questions about our surnames and will perhaps encourage its reader to pursue the study further. CONTENTS: What are Surnames and how old are they? - Surnames from Occupations - Surnames from Places - Surnames from Local Features - Surnames from Relationships - Surnames from Words of Affection - Surnames from Nicknames - Surnames from Personal Names - Postscipt - References - General index - Index of surnames.

About this title

From the Publisher:

FAMILY NAMES are an essential part of personal history and most people occasionally wonder about their origins.
Some names speak clearly for themselves, while others seem mysterious. Looking into our surnames is a fascinating way to discover something of our country's history and gives us an intriguing glimpse into the working of our ancestors' minds.
William Lewis tells the story of our surnames and reveals that their meanings are the key features to understanding their origins: is your surname from an ancestor's occupation, a relationship, or perhaps from his nickname? Did he hold public office or was he named after his place of origin? Or perhaps he was named after a Biblical character.
This book will reveal the answers to many questions about surnames which the author has researched for over twenty years.

About the author: WILLIAM LEWIS was born and raised near Dudley in Worcestershire. Following graduation from college, he spent many years as a teacher, finally leaving the profession to take up a post in a government laboratory in Oxford. His long-standing interest in English mediæval history and, in particular, the origins of British surnames has led to his writing the present book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Brazen Head Publishing
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0956510604
• ISBN 13: 9780956510600
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 188