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Archiver > POWYS > 1999-07 > 0931311269


From: Dick Jones <>
Subject: Re: Welsh Naming
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1999 01:34:29 +0000


>I, too, have "alias" with a different "surname" following a wife of one of
>my ancestors. Does anyone know what that means?
>Kathryn

Kathryn

'alias' means 'otherwise (known as)'.

Traditionally Welsh women retained their maiden names (i.e. the name which
identified them as the daughter of their father) throughout life. The
reason being that in the patronymic naming system if Lowri verch Rhys
married Dafydd ap Hywel she could not take his surname as he didn't have
one.

When surnames came into use the tradition was carried on, so that Welsh
women ended up with two names (as recently as the middle of the last
century in some areas).

In the case of "Alice vch John alias Alice Williams, widow", Williams was
clearly her husband's surname, but usually one will find that the surname
after the 'alias' will be the maiden name.

Note
----
'Merch/ferch' (daughter) was anglicised to 'Verch' (abbreviated to 'vch' or
'vz')
In 'Mab/fab' (son) the soft 'f' sound (English 'v') disappeared to leave
'ab' which often developed into the stronger 'ap' sound.

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