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Archiver > ENG-DORSET-LIFE > 2001-09 > 1000923635


From: "Helen Jones" <>
Subject: Re: [DOR-LIFE] Surname origins
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 19:20:35 +0100
References: <005a01c140c3$049d42a0$0930073e@advent>


Use books! (Thought my husband might disagree as he says I buy too many and
we ran out of book shelves about 5 years ago. He is tired of tripping over
boxes or piles of books every time he goes into the study!)

There is no one single book or site which will give you the one and only
true definition of a surname!
Over the years reputable surname researchers have disagreed with each other.
At one time (early 20th century) Bardsley was the king of surnames, giving
new definitions to those previously given. Reaney and Wilson then came along
with their scholarly work on English Surnames, giving detailed references
and early examples of every name to show how it had changed. Many of their
findings did not agree with Bardsley's. Now Professor David Hey, himself a
reknowned family and local history expert has done a new study and this
disagrees with many of Reaney and Wilson's findings!

I use Reaney and Wilson, Hey and Basil Cottle. Rowlands and Rowlands or
Morgan and Morgan for Welsh names. I can give you the full titles, ISBNs etc
if you want, but I am just to lazy to get all the books down at this point
in time! I have yet to track down either Bardsley or Henry Guppy (The Homes
of Family Names in Great Britain first published 1890). I have not looked in
any great detail at internet sites - some of those I have seen do not seem
as well researched as I would like. Indeed some seem complete and utter
rubbish! Likewise the pedigrees you find that claim to take you back to
Julius Caesar, Boudica or Adam....fun but don't take them too seriously! I
did a lovely tree for myself once right back to Adam using an internet
pedigree site! The kids were impressed if nothing else.

Can't find Gollop - but Reaney and Wilson say that 'goll' is Medieaval
English meaning an unfledged bird or a silly fellow - but they note there
was also a rare female medieavel name, Golla.

Helen
Helen Jones, Listowner Dorset, Eng-Dorset-Life
For Dorset look ups, see
http://www.melcombe.freeserve.co.uk/dorset/lookups.htm

www.melcombe.freeserve.co.uk

----- Original Message -----
From: "Davy Cannon" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 5:24 AM
Subject: [DOR-LIFE] Surname origins



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