Names and History: People, Places and Things

How names were acquired, and how they have changed, is a subject of perennial fascination. The history of British names has often been approached by studying their roots in earlier languages, including Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Welsh and Gaelic. In Names and History George Redmonds, one of the leading historians of names, shows how far more needs to be taken into account than just etymology. Archaeology, farming practices, the landscape itself, genealogy, social customs, family networks and many other things are all relevant. By looking at the local meanings of names he has widened the whole field of name studies, providing while doing so a fascinating set of detective stories. Tracing one's ancestry will never be the same again.