ARTICLES

What's in a name? Exploring surname meanings. Part 1.

This article is intended to provide some general knowledge about genealogy tracing family history and introduce the reader to the surname meanings and how they can be determined through the research process. Do you know what your surname means and how it was acquired To be sure there is an intriguing history associated with each name. The challenge for genealogists and family historians is getting to the root of the name so that a true meaning can be determined. Simply put the surname you bear nowadays may be considerably different than the original spelling your ancestors used centuries ago. Thus it is the spelling inconsistency by which names were altered over the span of many years that presents itself as the obstacle to overcome in determining the true meaning of the name.It's also important to understand that until fairly recently in our history surnames were optional or didn't exist at all. Although the actual start point varies by region prior to the start of the 17th century researching individuals unless royalty or families of some importance becomes very difficult. It is at about this time when people outside of towns and cities only began to use surnames with some regularity....
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What's in a name? Surname landmarking. Part 3.

This is the third and last article in a series intended to provide some general knowledge about genealogy tracing family history and introduce the reader to the process of surname landmarking and how it can be used in the research process. For genealogists and family historians a particularly vexing research problem is the inconsistency with which family names were spelled over the span of many years. These spelling inconsistencies can make it difficult to track down and verify family relationships andor confirm individuals related to events. Just why does the name keep changing in the first place and how do you know you are researching the right person when the surname seems to change so frequently In answer to the initial half of the question first middle and last names were all subject to frequent misspelling depending on who was doing the writing when your ancestors' documents were originally penned. The reasons for these errors varied but included lack of concern for accuracy by the writer or subject person grammatical inability of the writer difficulty understanding the given name perhaps the writer was of a different nationality and did not recognize the subject persons spoken words a common error with...
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ARTICLES

This article is intended to provide some general knowledge about genealogy tracing family history and introduce the reader to the surname meanings and how they can be determined through the research process. Do you know what your surname means and how it was acquired To be sure there is an intriguing history associated with each name. The challenge for genealogists and family historians is getting to the root of the name so that a true meaning can be determined. Simply put the surname you bear nowadays may be considerably different than the original spelling your ancestors used centuries ago. Thus...
Read more



This is the third and last article in a series intended to provide some general knowledge about genealogy tracing family history and introduce the reader to the process of surname landmarking and how it can be used in the research process. For genealogists and family historians a particularly vexing research problem is the inconsistency with which family names were spelled over the span of many years. These spelling inconsistencies can make it difficult to track down and verify family relationships andor confirm individuals related to events. Just why does the name keep changing in the first place and how do...
Read more