| Surnames were not known in Britain until the | | | | if their name had been spelt differently, or even |
| Norman Conquest. People were either known as | | | | know how it should be spelt in the first place. |
| 'son of' or 'daughter of' or they had a nickname. | | | | Making the spelling of names standard wasn't |
| This nickname could have been based on | | | | achieved until the 19th century, but even now |
| something personal, say they had a limp, or a big | | | | spelling mistakes can happen. Names cannot |
| nose, or stooped, or they had red hair, the list will | | | | always be spelled phonetically, they might sound |
| be endless. | | | | like one thing but be spelled quite differently. Take |
| When the Norman barons came to Britain, they | | | | for instance the personal name of St. John, this is |
| introduced the use of surnames. The British | | | | pronounced Sinjun. If you were not able to read |
| people did actually catch on to the idea, but they | | | | and write, how would you spell it? |
| didn't necessarily stay with the first surname they | | | | Surnames which evolved from place names are |
| chose. Eventually surnames were used and they | | | | probably the ones which have survived the |
| stuck. | | | | longest, and obviously they are more common |
| It was a lot easier in the olden days because | | | | because of the number of people who would |
| communities were much smaller and as everyone | | | | have lived in that particular place. Even countries |
| knew everyone else your personal name was | | | | have provided surnames, French, Fleming, Britten |
| enough, because everyone would know your | | | | etc.etc. |
| family as well, therefore 'son of' would be enough | | | | You can have names from rivers - Surtees |
| for identification. | | | | [meaning on the Tees], Pickersgill [meaning a |
| A large number of people would be known by | | | | stream containing pike], Fleet [an estuary or a |
| their trade, Roger the fletcher, William the smith, | | | | stream]. Trees also provide names such as Leaf, |
| and so on. You would eventually end up with | | | | Root, and Elmes, Maples, and Oakley to name but |
| Roger Fletcher, William Smith, Richard Redhead | | | | a few, you get the picture. |
| and so on. | | | | Many of the old occupations also provided names, |
| Around the year 1400 most English families and | | | | for instance Frobisher meant a refurbisher or |
| even those from lowland Scotland had adopted | | | | cleaner of armour. Arkwrights were makers of |
| hereditary surnames. People were still finding new | | | | arks or chests. Mason, Fisher, Thatcher and so on, |
| surnames to take, as immigrants came to Britain | | | | all self-explanatory. |
| bringing new names with them. | | | | The study of names is something that could keep |
| A lot of Scottish, Welsh and Irish names derive | | | | you occupied endlessly, but if you are a |
| from gaelic personal names so you need to keep | | | | committed family historian, this is a very |
| this in mind when doing Scottish or Irish | | | | important facet of your study. By this I don't |
| genealogy. The Welsh people took longer to adopt | | | | mean you have to turn yourself into a |
| surnames, but this was accomplished by 1536 | | | | professional genealogist, but always keep an open |
| when Wales and England became united. | | | | mind and be prepared for all sorts of weird and |
| Family History and family tracing has been made | | | | wonderful spellings of the name you are |
| more of a minefield by people and families | | | | researching. |
| changing their names in the past. Of course they | | | | Always take down any details you come across |
| would have had no idea that people in the future | | | | for the name you are currently researching, even |
| would be interested in who they were and what | | | | though you may think that it is the wrong person |
| they were called. There didn't always need to be | | | | because the spelling isn't as you expected to find |
| a legitimate reason, they would often do this | | | | it. |
| purely because they felt like it. | | | | Better to take down the information there and |
| Although surnames are your main area of | | | | then than to wish you had later on. |
| research when looking into your family history, | | | | You need to remember when you are looking at |
| you need to be aware that the name could have | | | | details taken from older church registers that not |
| been changed over time. | | | | all ministers were educated. Some were, |
| The spelling of your family names could have | | | | exceedingly so, but others were not, and you will |
| been so different, mostly because way back not | | | | find many spelling anomalies in older register |
| many people were educated enough to recognise | | | | details. |