The Hidden Origins of English Surnames
Rob Watts of RobWords explored the origins of English surnames and how hereditary family names spread in England in the centuries after the 11th-century Norman Conquest of England. Watts traced many surnames to four broad categories: occupations, parental names, locations, and descriptive nicknames, with meanings that are often obscured in their modern forms.
Our last names reveal the lives of our ancestors. Though it’s not always obvious, they can tell us where they lived, what they did, what others thought of them, and what their first names were. From Archer to Wright, Anderson to Wilkinson, Short to Strong, and Danvers to Disney, enjoy this journey through the history of family names.
