Surnames

[rabbitygirl]

I'm interested in knowing a reliable source giving the origins of individual surnames.

Book preferred, online ok. Thanks.

[jno]

there are some here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=sear ch-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=origin+of +surnames&x=20&y=17

I assume they'll all give pretty much the same information (this is one of those fields where everyone borrows from everyone else), so it's probably worth looking for the one with most pages, so as to get the widest range of names.

A search for the origin of the surname 'rabbitygirl' hasn't produced much, though.

[rabbitygirl]

Funny you should say that jno - my son has revealed the surname 'Rabbits' so many a true word said in jest eh?

Thanks for quick response.

[dot.hawkes]

there are basically just a few types of surname, and in any language that is true .
there is the occupational surname, like Cooper, Butler, Thatcher etc.
then the place name, like London, Carlisle, Stafford etc
Then the more generic place name, like Field, Hill, Bank etc
Then you have the patronymic, i'e' named for the father, like Robertsson, Anderson, Jefferson.
Then the matronymics which are uncommon in the UK, like Annason, Maryson maybe,
Next you have the modified foreign (to UK) synames that are a derivitive of the original name, like Swartz, for Swartzcoff, Manaly for manalenko, these names start to appear in our records from the mid 1800s onwards.

BEYOND the analyising of a surname in relation to it's meaning, you need to identify where a name appears in any numbers in the records. For this purpose, whcih can help identify where the name is most common as early as possible, the IGI (International Genealogical Index) available on Familysearch.org, is a great resource, you can quickly identify early baptism patterns by county which help work out where your name could have been from the 1500s.

[rabbitygirl]

Thanks dot - very helpful x

[carolegif]

Ancestry UK sent me an email selling a book with the origins of surnames and where they all come from. Look on the site and go to the shop.

[sigma]

For online references try

http://www.surnamedb.com/

http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/

http://www.thepeerage.com/