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What's in a Surname?: A Journey from Abercrombie to Zwicker Hardcover – International Edition, November 1, 2013

by David Mckie (Author)

28 ratings

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Surnames are much more than convenient identity tags; they are windows into our families’ pasts. Some suggest ancestral trades (Butcher, Smith, Roper) or physical appearance (Long, Brown, Thynne). Some provide clues to where we come from (McDonald, Evans, Patel). And some—Rymer, Brocklebank, Stolbof—offer a hint of something just a little more exotic or esoteric. All are grist to the mill for David McKie who sets off on a journey around Britain to find out how such appellations have evolved and what they tell us about ourselves. En route he looks at the surname’s tentative beginnings in medieval times, and the myriad routes by which particular names became established. He considers some curious byways: the rise and fall of the multi-barreled surname and the Victorian reinvention of "embarrassing" surnames among them. He considers whether fortune favors those whose surnames come at the beginning of the alphabet, and he celebrates the remarkable and the quirky, from the fearsome Ridley (the cry of which once struck terror in the hearts of Northumbrians) to the legend-encrusted Tichborne, whose most famous holders were destined to suffer centuries of misfortune and controversy. Elegiac and amusing by turns, he offers a wonderfully entertaining wander along the footpaths of the nation’s history and culture, celebrating not just the Smiths and Joneses of these islands but the Chacepots and Swetinbeds, too.

Print length

294 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Random House UK
Publication date

November 1, 2013
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

1847946941
ISBN-13

978-1847946942
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David McKie formerly worked for the Guardian as a political reporter, deputy editor, chief leader writer, and author of the "Elsewhere" and "Smallweed" columns. His much-praised account of a Victorian conman, Jabez: The Rise and Fall of a Victorian Rogue, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Biography Award. He has also written such widely acclaimed books as Great British Bus Journeys and McKie's Gazetteer.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House UK (November 1, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1847946941
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1847946942
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,188,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13,379 in Genealogy (Books)
- #45,979 in Great Britain History (Books)
- #63,210 in Historical Study (Books)

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		39%
4 star		24%
3 star		16%
2 star		11%
1 star		11%

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Top reviews from the United States

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worst book i ever bought,, very disapointed

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2019

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I read id cover to cover and it was a jumbled mess. We plan a trip to Ireland and this book was the worst'

Entertaining and informative book.

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2014

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The previous review cannot be improved upon. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I am passionate about t he subject and I couldn't put the book down.
But it would make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves to read.

Great Informative Reading & Great Service

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very pleased with my acquisition....speedy delivery; book was brand new as listed and well packed; very informative book...I enjoyed reading it profusely and happy to share it with family members. Superb Service!!!

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2018

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Maybe a good book but so boring it's hard to tell.

Informed, amusing and entertaining romp through the British Isles.

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2013

I've always been interested in names but never expected to be blown away by a book dedicated to the topic.

The research required must have been phenomenal. Mr McKie's approach is systematic and although every page is packed with names and facts, it's a delightfully easy and entertaining read. I now know that Farmers may have originated as tax collectors, Walkers were cloth treaders and on the way have read about Gyldeballes and Sweatenbollockes.

But this is no lightweight work. It's a detailed social history going back to medieval times, looking at the origins of surnames and their distribution and change. As people migrated from one place to another, so their name was seeded. Tin mines in Cornwall closed and the next thing predominantly Cornish names appeared in the North East as people moved to look for work. This is predominantly a book about people and culture. It's quirky, fascinating, intriguing and in part raises as many questions as it answers. This is not just a tedious list of names, its a celebration of the richness and diversity of the English language. Anyone who enjoys reading will take something from this book. I found it a complete joy and one that I'll be dipping into again and again. Brilliant!

Copy of my Amazon UK review.

4 people found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Ray V

Not as informative as expected, but entertaining

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2013

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This is not an encyclopaedic book about the meaning of surnames, though it contains much interesting information, including strong reminders that we cannot assume we know the meaning of any surname.
It ranges over many aspects of the whole business of surnames - for instance, how they cluster in certain places and are completely absent in others. This is interesting, but I had the feeling that the author spends rather too much time on this, with too many detailed illustrations.
The book rambles through such things as feuds between people of different surnames that have lasted for centuries, the thinking behind stage names (would Frederic Austerlitz and Virginia Katherine McMath have been as successful as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers?), and the way that the place of one's surname in the alphabet can affect one's whole life. In academic publications, for instance, papers by multiple authors usually give the names in alphabetical order, which means that in brief references you can spend your whole career as part of the 'et al'!
The final chapter considers whether with the mobility of the present time, the growing tendency for married women to keep their own surname, and the ubiquitous use of Christian names in situations that used to call for formality, there is still a future for surnames.
There is a lot of useless information in this book (which is not a criticism!), but it also raises issues that are real at least for some people.

8 people found this helpful

Cookey Monster

Very Interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2014

Verified Purchase

I am still not sure why I ordered this. I saw a favourable review and just thought it would be fun.
The first few chapters were quite boring but then the pace and content improved and the chapters on pen names and literary characters names are really good. This can I guess be used as a reference book but I found it a good read in much the same vane as I enjoy a good biography. I'm glad I bought it and can see myself dipping in an out regularly.

3 people found this helpful

Cornishman

What's in a surname

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

An excellent book, full of useful information. Written in a fairly light easy to follow way and a must for those who have any interest in the origin of surnames

One person found this helpful

ACW. Derbyshire

Surnames

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2013

Verified Purchase

I like David Mckie's book. It is not simply a catalogue of names but gives a good insight on how names appeared and how families stayed in one commuity or moved around the country.

One person found this helpful

Standing in the need of prayer

My dad loved it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

My dad's a great one for books on off-beat subjects, so this was right up his street. I'm looking forward to our next holiday with my parents so I can borrow it ...

One person found this helpful

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