Surname Research

A Surname or One-Name Study is a project where you seek to collect every instance of the surname across all timespans and across the globe, as far as practical and possible.

The leading international organisation regarding surnames is the Guild of One-Name Studies. I have been a member of the Guild since 2002 and have two studies representing my parents; these are the Orlando study, which is an Italian name, and was registered with the Guild in 2002 and the Butcher study, registered with the Guild in 2016, although much of the research for both studies was gathered prior to the internet! I also share a study with my husband, for the surname of Worship which is the surname of his paternal Grandmother, this was registered in 2005.

I have been a committee member and Trustee of the Guild since 2015 and spent my first four years on the Committee as the Guild Secretary and I am currently the Vice Chairman.

I was honoured to be awarded the Guild of Master Craftsman at the Annual General Meeting in 2019. I was also honoured in 2019 to be awarded by the Society of Genealogists in London, England the Certificate of Recognition for “exceptional services to genealogy and one-name studies, promoting methodology, aims, processes and strategies”

I am a tutor for Pharos with responsibility for teaching all the available One-Name Studies courses. 

Introduction to One-Name Studies (course 901) typically runs twice a year. 

• 23 January 2023
• 4 July 2023

Practicalities of a One-Name Studies (course 903) is new from 2020. It sits between the existing courses, Introduction (901) course and the Advanced (902) course, and builds upon the learning and practice of the Introduction course.

• 7 March 2023
• 5 September 2023

Advanced One-Name Studies  (course 902) which runs typically once a year.  There are two options available for this course, either as an assessed student or not assessed.

• 17 October 2023

The assessed element is the preparation of an essay and those students who successfully complete a 2 – 3,000 word written article about one-name studies will be awarded the Guild Certificate of Attainment. The best articles will be submitted for publication in the Journal of One Name Studies. 

On this page you will find links to the numerous and various posts that I have written about One-Name & Surname research.

• What is a One-Name Study?
• Seven Steps to One-Name Studies and Surname Research
• Why Have a One-Name Study?
• How Big is my One-Name Study?
• Surname Distribution Maps and Migration
• More on Surname Maps
• Before you get Started – Organisational Considerations
• Research Log & To Do List  – Downloadable File!
• Quick Wins for Surname Collection
• I’ve collected data, now what?
• Drawing Conclusions from Data
• Communicating with others and responding to enquires
• What is your oldest possession?
• The Three P’s ~ Publicise, Publishing and Preserving
• Learning and One-Name Studies
• Aims of a One-Name Study
• What do you want your One-Name Study to be?
• A-Z Challenge April 2018 Surname Research Series
• Italian Surname Series
• My Italian One-Name Study Webinar
• Family Tree Magazine (UK) 2019 Surname Research Series
• ‘Expert’ feature in Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine (What’s in a  name?)
• Strategy for a Genealogical Project Series
• Sources and Citations Series
• A-Z Challenge 2019 Tips, Tools in Starting Surname Research Series
• European Surname Distribution Maps
• Organising a One-Name & Surname Study (Recording)
• Seven Steps of a One-Name (Surname) Study
• Surname Research Guide
• Surname Research – Variants
• Surname Tips Series
• Q & A Posts (includes material relevant to surname research)
• More on Variants
• Worksheet – Introduction to One-Name Studies – Downloadable File!
• Practicalities of a One-Name Study
• Family Tree Magazine (UK) 2019 Article Surname Series – Downloadable File!
• Russian Given Names and Surnames
• Researching Surnames Guide – Read-a-long – (2020)
• A Year in Surnames
• Set Books for Pharos Surname Courses – Downloadable! 
• Surname Series
• Surname Projects, Lineage Projects & Family History
• A-Z Challenge 2021 – All About Surnames
• Why Study Surnames?
• 1837+ BMD Registrations England & Wales – Downloadable File!
• Surname Series 2022
• Presentation – What to look for that suits your (one-name) study (Recording)
• Tria Normina
• Non-British Surnames

 

Page updated 6 January 2023