A History of British Surnames

by R.A. McKinley

Aiming to avoid technical terminology, Richard McKinley provides an introduction to the history of hereditary surnames in Britain from their first appearance to the present day. Devoting a chapter to each of the main categories of name, he enables readers to set the facts they discover about their own ancestry, family history and surnames into the context of general surname development. The author deals with those names that originate in England, Wales and Scotland; and since these tend to have their own distinct histories, he discusses developments in each of the three countries separately, wherever appropriate. The book uses the study of surnames to illuminate social history and draws attention to the complex patterns of population mobility that have always characterized British Society. It also describes regional and class differences in surnames, some features of which survive to our own time.

Genres: History

238 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 1990

About the author

See also Richard McKinley for works published under that name.

Richard McKinley was a distinguished historian of Leicestershire and a pioneering specialist in the history of English surnames. This festschrift contains twelve essays written by his former colleagues and friends. They focus on subjects which interested McKinley throughout his career, particularly surname studies on late medieval and post-medieval England.

Reviews

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good general history of surnames in Britain. Their origins, how they evolved and changed over the years, etc. Geared towards basic research and info but even somebody who has studied British surnames will take away some new knowledge from this, or at least I did.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I bought this in Hay last month because of the title. And it is exactly what it says and yet not really what I expected. There is an index of surnames discussed in the book, but the text itself is densely-written and very academic. That's fine. But it's not exactly fun to read. Arranged by type of surname and then some varied discussion of specific areas. Great for genealogists in England trying to find out how their family name evolved; who'd've thought "Higgins" was in anyway related to Richardson??