Names and Surnames Bibliography

Copyright – Julie Goucher, November 2021

Below is a list of books, papers and software, that are likely to be useful to those interested in Names and Surnames.  The list is not exhaustive, and remains a work in progress. If you come across a something that is not mentioned, please do let me know.

Books marked * are those that can be found in the Guild of One-Name Studies library with members able to request look ups.

Those in green are set books for the Pharos One-Name Studies courses – https://pharostutors.com.

The details provided is the name of the author (surname then given name in alphabetical order), book or item title and lastly the publisher or publishing information.

  • Aksu, Ibrahim. The story of Turkish Surnames: An Onomastic Study of Turkish Family Names, their origins, and related matters. Privately published 2006. ISBN ‏ ‎ 978-9944516303
  • Archer, Steve. Surname Atlas (surname distribution mapping software (based on the England and Wales 1881 Census information), Archer Software, 2015, http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/satlas01.htm
  • Bardsley, Charles Wareing M.A. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances, Published Henry Frowde, London, 1901.
  • Beattie, Alan M (Dr), Shetland Surnames (second edition), Published Shetland Family History Society, May 2010
  • Black, George F. The Surnames of Scotland
  • Briggs, Keith. An Index of Personal Names in English Place Names, Published English-Place Name Society, Nottingham (England), 2021.
  • Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD Penguin Books, 1967
  • Davis, Graeme. Research Your Surname and Your Family Tree, How to Books Ltd, 2010
  • Deacon, Bernard. The Surnames of Cornwall. Published 2019, https://benarddeacon.com.
  • Diggle, James (and the Faculty of Classics). The Cambridge Greek Lexicon (Volumes I & II)
  • Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames, Collins Celtic, (Pocket edition, 1998)
  • Fucilla, Joseph G. Our Italian Surnames. Originally published 1949 and available on Internet Archives, Genealogical Publishing Company 1987. (reprinted 2003) ISBN 978 – 0806311878
  • Goucher, Julie. Researching Surnames: A Guide to One-Name Studies, Published by Guild of One-Name Studies, England, 2019, https://one-name.org
  • Goucher, Julie. From a Single Surname – Beginnings of an Italian One-Name Study, Published Journal of One-Name Studies, Guild of One-Name Studies, Volume 13, pp 30-32, January 2018
  • Guild of One-Name Studies, Seven Pillars: The Art of One-Name Studies, Published by Guild of One-Name Studies, England, 2012, https://one-name.org
  • Guppy, H.B. Homes of Family Names in Great Britain Published 1890 (reprinted 1968)
  • Hanks, Patrick & Hodges, Flavia. A Dictionary of Surnames, Oxford University Press, 1989
  • Hanks, Patrick & Coates Richard. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland*, Oxford University Press, 2016
  • Jarvis, Judith K, Levin, Susan L and Yates, Donald N, Book of Jewish and Crypto-Jewish Surnames, Published by Panther’s Lodge Publishers, 2018.
  • Kennett, Debbie. The Surname Handbook, History Press, 2012
  • McKinley, Richard. English Surnames Series II – Norfolk and Suffolk Surnames in the Middle Ages, Phillimore 1975.
  • McKinley, Richard. English Surnames Series III – The Surnames of Oxfordshire, Leopard’s Head Press 1977
  • McKinley, Richard. English Surnames Series V – The Surnames of Sussex, Leopard’s Head Press 1988
  • O’Farrell, Padraic. Irish Surnames, Published by Gill & Macmillian, 2002
  • Postles, David. English Surnames Series VII –  The Surnames of Leicestershire and Rutland, Leopard’s Head Press 1998
  • Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames, Oxford University Press, 1987
  • Redmonds, George. Surnames and Genealogy, A New Approach. Federation of Family History Society (FFHS), 2002
  • Redmonds, George. Names and History – People, Places and Things. Hambledon & London Ltd Publishers 2004
  • Redmonds, George; King, Turi & Hey, David. Surnames, DNA and Family History, Oxford University Press, 2015
  • Rogers, Colin. The Surname Detective. Investigating Surname Distribution in England, 1086 to the Present Day, Manchester University Press, 1995
  • Rowlands, John and Shelia, The Surnames of Wales, Gormer Press, Wales, 2013
  • Smith, Elsdon C, American Surnames, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997
  • Todd, Andrew, Family History Nuts and Bolts – Problem Solving through Family Reconstruction Techniques, Published by Andrew Todd, Ramsbottom, England, 2015 (3rd Edition)
  • Tooth, Edgar. The Distinctive Surnames of North Staffordshire: Vol 1 – Surnames Devised from Local Placenames and Landscape Features, Churnet Valley Books, 2000
  • Tooth, Edgar. The Distinctive Surnames of North Staffordshire: Vol II – Occupations, Trades, Position and Rank, Churnet Valley Books, 2002
  • Wilson, Stephen. The Means of Naming – A Social and Cultural history of personal naming in Western Europe, UCL Press, 1998
Last updated 17 February 2023