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 authors focus on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe, and revealing how they often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries earlier. In the process they cast fresh light on the ancient peopling of hte British Islaes.
The authors consider why some names die out while others spread across the globe. They use recent advances in DNA testing to investigate whether particular surnames have single, dual or multiple origns, and to find out if the various forms of a single name have au common origins.
They show how information from DNA can be combined with historical evidence and techniques to distinguish between individuals with the same name and different names with similar spellings, and to identify the name of the same individual or family spelt in various ways in different times and places.
This book will be welcomed by all those engaged in genealogical research, including everyone seeking to discover the histories of their names and families.
Contents:
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
1. By-names
2. Hereditary Surnames
3. Expansion and Decline
4. Distribution and Migration
5. Linguistic and Social Factors
6. Meaning and Method
7. DNA and Surnames
8. The Link Between Surname and Y Chromosome Type
9. The Wider Picture
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index of Names
General Index
