Are there 'Tadpoles' or 'Hedgehogs' in your family tree? Were your ancestors 'Silly', 'Daft', 'Vague' or 'Horrible'? Did they 'Fidget', 'Stammer' or 'Tremble'? Did they suffer from a 'Headache' or a 'Gumboil'?
In the search for ancestors, names are the staring point. Without names, there would be no family history, and an understanding of names, and surnames in particular, will always be a crucial aid to knowledge and research.
'Searching for Surnames' attempts to clear away some of the fog from the subject and provides a working guide to surname identification. It encourages readers to enjoy the diversity of surnames, be they common of rare, easy to interpret of shrouded in mystery.
John Titford explains the subject fully with his usual clarity and enthusiasm. Taking a step by step approach, he deal first with the history of surnames and of the languages which gave rise to them, followed by a series of surname surgeries and case studies that suggest various techniques for getting a name to yield up its meaning.
The vital importance of taking a genealogical approach whenever possible is stressed throughout, with reference made to readily available CD-ROM and internet sources which, together with advances in DNA techniques, are helping to revolutionise the subject worldwide.
Note this is not a dictionary of surnames and their meanings, rather a book which shows you the way to find out the meanings, and takes you step by step through a few examples.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Studying Surnames
Chapter 1. First Things First
Chapter 2. What Are Surnames?
Chapter 3. Some History
Chapter 4. Collecting and Analysing Surnames
Chapter 5. A Genealogical Approach to Surname Study
Chapter 6. Opening Quiz: Test Yourself
Part 2: Surname Identification: A Do-it-Yourself Guide
Chapter 7. Surname Surgery 1: The Surname as a Whole
Chapter 8. Part-Way Quiz
Chapter 9. Surname Surgery 2: The Parts of a Surname
Chapter 10. Surname Surgery 3: Hard Nuts to Crack
Part 3: Mainly for Fun
Chapter 11. Surnames Which Are Not What they Seem
Chapter 12. The Game of the Name
Further Reading
Index
