Names and History

How names were acquired, and how they have changed, is a subject of perennial fascination. They are part of our personal histories, defining who we are and where we live. Names are everywhere, identifying people, places, animals, ships, materials, plants, public houses and fields. To understand them we need to look beyond etymologies, examining names instead in their historic and chronological contexts. The investigations in Names and History all involve fascinating detective stories into the connections between names and related subjects - archaeology and the landscape; genealogy, genetics and family networks; dialects and social customs; industrial and farming practices. In them George Redmonds, a leading historian of names, widens the whole range of name studies and draws readers into the enquiry. Names will never seem the same again.

George Redmonds is the author of numerous books on name topics - most recently Surnames and Genealogy and Christian Names in Local and Family History. In 2001 he presented the BBC radio 4 series Surnames, Genes and Genealogy.

."..fascinating compendium of research into British names..."--Sanford Lakoff "The Guardian "