The Select Surname Website
What's in a name? More than you might think. Each surname
carries an individual history that has been shaped by all the forebears
of that name. In palmistry, the left hand usually tells you what
you are born
with, the right hand what you made on your life. So too with
family genealogy. Word origin and DNA will provide a starting
point. But the history and events over time can give these names
their distinctive characteristics and traits.
The names found on this site are not the most common. But each in its own way has its own style. Not quite like a clan perhaps. But definitely as a distinctive grouping with a shared history. The select names chosen here - of English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish origin - are as follows:
Site Map: Select Names
The Origin/Spread of Surnames
Have a look at some of these surnames - other than your own - to see the extent of the rich tapestry of life that can exist in family names.
Each surname on this list includes: a name origin or derivation; a history of the name through time and countries; some notable people who bear this name; and further internet resources on the name (we have only chosen those sites that are readily accessible without charge on the internet).
Our intent is to make this site a premier site for narrating the stories of these English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish names over time. We will be adding further names to the site as and when time and research permit.
We welcome your comments and your suggestions as to what we have included and what names we might include in the future. Please click onto our Feedback section on this site.
Enjoy the site!
Colin Shelley
A Cautionary Note. As
you read further, I should add a note of caution. Not everything
in the world of surnames that has been written, transcribed, or appears
on the internet is necessarily true. One may excuse the early
mythology of surnames. This folklore, coming down through the
mists of time, at least makes interesting reading. But some blame
must be attached to genealogists themselves. Their desire is to
find and make connections. Anuone who has tried to trace their
family history knows the feeling of coming up against a brick
wall. The urge to make a connection will sometimes lead to
error. Very occasionally the connection has been achieved through
a falsification of documents. Then these errors and falsities get
transcribed and are passed along.
In the surnames covered here, I have found, through checking or through correspondence, at least half a dozen ocurrences of genealogical errors, including two cases of outright forgery. For instance, President Thomas Jefferson's lineage probably does not extend back to Wales, despite a statue to that effect in Wales; the Adams family in America are not descended from Lord John ap Adam of the Welsh borders; and the case for linking the Great Forester of Flanders with Foster descendants in America is still probably not proven.
So, be careful!