A Dictionary of Surnames - Hardcover

Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0192115928 ISBN 13: 9780192115928

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1989

Synopsis

A unique reference work, this international dictionary is a systematic, comparative survey of the origins and meanings of some 100,000 currently used surnames of European origin, as they are presently found throughout the world. With the help of consultant editors in specific areas--particularly for Jewish, Spanish, and Gaelic names--the authors present information about the language or region in which the surname originated, major events in the history of noted names, the original meaning, peculiarites of regional distribution, and in some cases the form, date, and location of early instances of the name. Uniquely organized to allow comparison between names that share the same etymology, the dictionary groups together within a single entry many different cognate and variant forms, including diminutives and patronymics. A comprehensive alphabetical index allows easy cross-referencing. Summarizing a wealth of historical and etymological information in a clear and concise manner, the dictionary will be interesting and accessible to the general reader, and an essential reference tool for historians, genealogists, philologists, and local family history societies.

About this title

About the Author

Patrick Hanks is a Research Fellow in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Birmingham. Both he and Flavia Hodges worked from 1980 until 1983 in the Department of Language and Linguistics at the University of Essex, where much of the research for this book was carried out.

Reviews

Unlike most other surname dictionaries that focus on specific nationalities, this work's 100,000 entries come from throughout Europe, Australia, North America, and the British Isles. Names are treated as a cultural and linguistic phenomenon and chosen on the principal of frequency and on the basis of available information. The methodology of selection, classification of names, and background for each nationality as well as Jewish family names are thoroughly covered in the introduction. The most common spelling of a name is listed in an alphabetical arrangement, with variant spellings in "nested groups" under main entries. An index leads the user to variant spellings within entries. A surname's derivation, name type, meaning, noncognate equivalents, and earliest use are typically provided. This scholarly work, the most comprehensive surname dictionary to date, will be welcome in most public and academic libraries. Stanley P. Hodge, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, Ind.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0192115928
• ISBN 13: 9780192115928
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 880