Surnames, DNA, and Family History

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. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe and revealing how names often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries ago. In the process the book casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. The authors consider why some names die out, and how others have spread across the globe. They use recent advances in DNA testing to discover whether particular surnames have a single, dual or multiple origins and whether various forms of a name have a common origin. 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.Clearly written and illustrated with hundreds of examples, this book will be welcomed by all those engaged in genealogical research, including everyone seeking to discover the histories of their names and families. This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and shows the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe and revealing how names often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries ago. In the process the book casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. 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 origins, and to find out if the various forms of a single name have a common origin. 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 identifty the name of the same individual or family spelt in various ways in different times and places. The final chapter of this paperback edition, looking at the use of genetics in historical research, has been updated to include new work on the DNA of Richard III. "This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and shows 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 in the districts where they first became established centuries earlier. In the process ... fresh light [is cast] on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. The authors [also] 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 ot multiple origins, and to find out if the various forms of a single name have a common origin. 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 [spelled] in various ways in different times and places."--Jacket Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 1 By-names......Page 34 2 Hereditary Surnames......Page 54 3 Expansion and Decline......Page 75 4 Distribution and Migration......Page 97 5 Linguistic and Social Factors......Page 119 6 Meaning and Method......Page 140 7 DNA and Surnames......Page 161 8 The Link between Surname and Y Chromosome Type......Page 186 9 The Wider Picture......Page 207 Conclusion......Page 228 Bibliography......Page 231 C......Page 238 F......Page 239 L......Page 240 P......Page 241 S......Page 242 Y......Page 243 M......Page 254 W......Page 255 Foreward Preface Introduction By-names Hereditary Surnames Expansion and Decline Distribution and Migration Linguistic and Social Factors Meaning and Method DNA and Surnames The Link between Surname and Y Chromosome Type The Wider Picture Conclusion Bibliography Index of Names General Index