The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland

I hope you now know how to call your nearest and dearest after last post! 🙂  or you if you meet an odd relative such as myself you know where I am on the family tree.

Moving forward to our next post in 2016 Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, and Peter McClure published the ultimate reference work on family names of the UK. The Dictionary includes every surname that currently has more than 100 bearers. It is more than 3,136 Pages

Each entry contains lists of variant spellings of the name, an explanation of its origins (including the etymology), lists of early bearers showing evidence for formation and continuity from the date of formation down to the 19th century, geographical distribution, and, where relevant, genealogical and bibliographical notes, making this a fully comprehensive work on family names.

This authoritative guide also includes an introductory essay explaining the historical background, formation, and typology of surnames and a guide to surnames research and family history research. Additional material also includes a list of published and unpublished lists of surnames from the Middle Ages to the present day.

 The Dictionary covers the following:

·    Covers over 45,000 family names in the UK, including immigrant names

·    Each entry includes the current and 1881 frequencies of the name, its main GB location, and its language or culture of origin

·    Each main entry explains the name’s origins and history, supported by a selection of early bearers taken from a wide range of sources such as wills, tax records, court records, parish registers, Nonconformist circuit records, and many other documents

·    Entries for variants direct the reader to the main entry where the history and etymology of the name is covered

·    Contains a full list of published and unpublished sources consulted

·    Introductory essay explains the origin, history, and typology of family names in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere in the world, the research methods used, the sources used. and some of the problems encountered in researching family names

·    Explains many surnames never previously explained and corrects many widely believed errors in the light of new evidence.

Without further Ado, I am attaching here information on the Wheelock’s origins, it is very technical but it also shows variations and origins of the name in their proper context and how the name has expanded.

Click on the PDF: Binder1