Names and History : People, Places and Things

by George Redmonds

• ISBN13: 9781852854263
• ISBN10: 185285426X
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2004-12-17
• Publisher: Hambledon & London

Summary

How names were acquired, and how they have changed, is a subject of perennial fascination. The history of British names has often been approached by studying their roots in earlier languages, including Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Welsh and Gaelic. In "Names and History George Redmonds, one of the leading historians of names, shows how far more needs to be taken into account than just etymology. Archaeology, farming practices, the landscape itself, genealogy, social customs, family networks and many other things are all relevant. By looking at the local meanings of names he has widened the whole field of name studies, providing while doing so a fascinating set of detective stories. Tracing one's ancestry will never be the same again.

Author Biography

George Redmonds is a leading authority on the history of names and is the author of Surnames and Genealogy: A New Approach.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	vii
Introduction	ix
1 Source Detective	1	(18)
2 The Surname Revolution	19	(14)
3 Surname Excursions	33	(20)
4 The Local History of Place-Names	53	(16)
5 Minor Place-Names	69	(18)
6 Field Names	87	(18)
7 First Names	105	(18)
8 Inns and Public Houses	123	(16)
9 Animals	139	(16)
10 Unofficial Place-Names	155	(16)
11 Streets	171	(12)
12 Ships and Fabrics	183	(16)
13 Plants	199	(12)
Appendixes	211	(10)
Notes	221	(14)
Select Bibliography	235	(2)
Index	237