The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland

摘要

The electronic version of this monumental dictionary, as reviewed here but also published in hardback in November 2016, is available to educational institutions and public libraries via subscription. The pedigree of the work is excellent and in keeping with the scholarly reputation of works from Oxford University Press. All three editors are highly regarded experts in the study of names and lexicology. The work is the result of extensive research into family names covering British and Irish family names. The resulting product covers over 45,000 English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish and immigrant surnames. There are limitations and exclusions: in 2011, a name had to have 20 current bearers to earn its place. This does mean that some family historians will be disappointed. Mayfield, Blandamer and Taske are excluded, but on the other hand, it was good to find Waynman, Railton and Lowthian, albeit with variant spellings. A particular advantage is that a large number of names from immigrant communities are included wherever 100 bearers of the name exist. For instance, with 13,400 recorded in 2011, Mohammed with its variant spellings amounts to 22 entries.