Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames

by P.H. Reaney

This comprehensive survey looks at the origins and development of 16,000 English surnames. David Hey's appendix explains how to trace the origins of a name, and discover its current distribution, using sources of information available in the UK.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Language, History

520 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 1991

Reviews

[[ J o ]]

This is such a wonderful reference book to have if you are any kind of writer. It chronicles modern English surnames and shows the historical evolution of them. Could be great for anyone also looking to look in to their family history, but as a whole the best use of it is either as a resource of English surnames for your characters, or a just a lovely dip in to the vast and mind-boggling thing that is English history.

Extremely easy to use: just like a dictionary, as one would expect. I think it is excellent considering its simplicity.

[Alison]

A solid, and useful dictionary of surnames but only English ones.

May be useful for those doing genealogical or local history research.

Laid out as you might expect, though in this volume some may find the text a little small.

[Katie]

This is a fabulous reference for writers who are looking for inspiration when naming characters.