Surnames, DNA, and Family History
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An excellent book, for its clarity, up-to-dateness, and coverage of all the important aspects of genetic genealogy, with many interesting and useful details not given in other books. (Genetic Genealogy )
they enjoyably demonstrate how ancestral links may be explored. (Family History Monthly )
it provides exciting clues about how recent developments in DNA analysis are shaping genealogical research (Who Do You Think You Are? )
Enthralling and compulsively readable, this book combines linguistics with genetics, genealogy, and local history to provide a fresh and eye-opening vision of the British past - and indeed of family histories across a wider world. Focusing on the history of British surnames it casts a totally new light on what makes us who we are - and how we can find out. Indispensable reading for anyone interested in their roots, this book offers nothing less than a new perspective on British history. (Michael Wood, historian and broadcaster )
they enjoyably demonstrate how ancestral links may be explored. (Family History Monthly )
it provides exciting clues about how recent developments in DNA analysis are shaping genealogical research (Who Do You Think You Are? )
Enthralling and compulsively readable, this book combines linguistics with genetics, genealogy, and local history to provide a fresh and eye-opening vision of the British past - and indeed of family histories across a wider world. Focusing on the history of British surnames it casts a totally new light on what makes us who we are - and how we can find out. Indispensable reading for anyone interested in their roots, this book offers nothing less than a new perspective on British history. (Michael Wood, historian and broadcaster )
Product Description
This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and show the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe and revealing how names often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries ago. In the process the book casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. The authors consider why some names die out, and how others have spread across the globe. They use recent advances in DNA testing to discover whether particular surnames have a single, dual or multiple origins and whether various forms of a name have a common origin. They show how information from DNA can be combined with historical evidence and techniques to distinguish between individuals with the same name and different names with similar spellings and to identify the name of the same individual or family spelt in various ways in different times and places. Clearly written and illustrated with hundreds of examples, this book will be welcomed by all those engaged in genealogical research, including everyone seeking to discover the histories of their names and families.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The latest advances in DNA analysis has much to offer those interested in genealogical research, particularly when combined with linguistic and historical approaches, as this scholarly yet readable book explains. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe, and casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. An overview of occupational by-names (familiar names) shows a medieval world populated by Brigendermakers (maker of body armour), Swerdslypers (scabbard maker), Swynnlibers (swine castrator) and Wandehaggers (woodman).
While the book has the flavour of an academic study, with mention of haplotypes and genetic drift, it is full of fascinating insights into family history research and genetic testing. The latter is now available commercially and many people undertaking it have a preconceived idea of where they -- or they want to -- come from; "the Vikings are by far the sexiest people to have had as ancestors" according to the authors.
Even in today's modern world, people still have a strong sense of wanting to 'belong', and, conclude the authors, "for many individuals their surname forms an essential part of who they are".
While the book has the flavour of an academic study, with mention of haplotypes and genetic drift, it is full of fascinating insights into family history research and genetic testing. The latter is now available commercially and many people undertaking it have a preconceived idea of where they -- or they want to -- come from; "the Vikings are by far the sexiest people to have had as ancestors" according to the authors.
Even in today's modern world, people still have a strong sense of wanting to 'belong', and, conclude the authors, "for many individuals their surname forms an essential part of who they are".
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anyone with an interest in the history of surnames and what DNA studies are revealing will find this a fascinating book, and it will also be a great interest to anyone concerned with the history of population in Britain. Its unifying theme is how the study of surnames, which used to be mainly based in the history of language, has been revolutionised by genealogy and DNA studies. These fields have had separate effects, but in the last 10 years or so have interacted strongly. The three authors are all leading experts in aspects of this. The individual chapters are not separately attributed, but the opening part develops the work that George Redmonds and David Hey have pioneered in the last 40 years, demonstrating from detailed examples how local history and genealogy can illuminate and correct conclusions from language studies about the history and meanings of classes of surnames and individual examples. There is an abrupt change half-way through, to a detailed description of how DNA works, and how Y chromosome and surname studies complement one-another. This is a difficult subject to explain, but I think that the authors (chiefly Turi King in this part presumably) do a very good job and do not shy away from dealing with important details. There are then fairly detailed summaries of key DNA studies, especially those which the University of Leicester team has been involved in, for individual names and populations, demonstrating the degree to which the Y chromosome haplotypes and surnames seem to be correlated in the British and Irish (but mainly English) populations. The book finishes with some tantalising glimpses of future possibilities, leaving me hoping that I live long enough to wonder at the results. The publisher (presumably) is also to be complemented at the quality of the illustrations, especially of the colour plates, which are important in understanding the arguments and examples. As I write this review I can't remember whether this book is available on Kindle. I am a Kindle fan, but I think this is a book which would be unsatisfactory in that medium, because of the need to refer repeatedly to the illustrations, and the importance of colour in them.
Format:Hardcover
Very interesting, if you're interested in the derivation of surnames it is really informative. and despite the obvious depth of research it is a very accessible and easy to read book. I thought it a better buy than books on surnames alone as it has a wider range of information.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Surnames, DNA and Family History
This book makes interesting reading though a little disappointed in that so, relatively, few surnames included. However, it should help with discovering more re same.
Published 3 months ago by Mary
A combination of history and science
I'm not sure who the target audience is for this book as it combines genealogical and historical research with the latest DNA mapping techniques. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Bluebell
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