Any good resources for surname origin research?

[Savant]

The web is full of charlatans who will manufacture a coat of arms and family history etc to sell you for a few dollars, does anyone know of some good resources with some validity and integrity to them?

[Albion]

Type in "Surname DB" on google, its a good surname site for North European surnames.

[Beorn]

Type in "Surname DB" on google, its a good surname site for North European surnames.

You mean?: http://www.surnamedb.com/

They are rather good. :)

[Psychonaut]

Ancestry.com's surname search engine (http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx) is quite good.

[Beorn]

Ancestry.com's surname search engine (http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx) is quite good.

It's shit. Look!


Name Distribution (UK)Name Distribution (Scotland)

LOL! Scotland IS UK.

Stupid Amerikwans :cool:

[Pallantides]

You mean?: http://www.surnamedb.com/

They are rather good. :)

This is all I get when I search for my family names 'Please accept our apologies but this surname has yet to be researched.'

[Ibericus]

This website tells you the regions where is most common a surname wich normally it's the region where it originated (not in the New World):
http://www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames/Main.aspx

[Pallantides]

I think 'world names' is rather good
http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org

My surname
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2386/surname.png

Mother's Maiden name
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9389/maidenname.png

Also a few other family names

paternal
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3978/paternal1.png
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3853/paternal2.png

maternal
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8261/maternal1.png
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/372/maternal2.png
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7110/maternal3.png

[Pallantides]

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7110/maternal3.png
This one is wrong.
Since there is no Ø/Ö I used just O, but here is with 'OE' instead, wich is more accurate, since my maternal grandmother's maiden name is of Swedish origin.
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7790/maternal4.png

[Albion]

I think 'world names' is rather good
http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org

My surname
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2386/surname.png

Mother's Maiden name
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9389/maidenname.png

Also a few other family names

paternal
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3978/paternal1.png
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3853/paternal2.png

maternal
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8261/maternal1.png
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/372/maternal2.png
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/7110/maternal3.png

Wow, no need to guess where you come from. :thumbs up

[Albion]

Here are the maps from mine, its very British-Isles'y:

My Surname:

http://i55.tinypic.com/143nv4g.png
Its origin is in Kent but it can also have a (rare) Irish root.

Mother's maiden name:

http://i55.tinypic.com/2gwb29u.png
This surname is quite interesting, it is derived from a woman's name and has a common ancestor in near Ashby-de-la-zouch, Leicestershire.

An "Irish" ancestor confirming my suspicions that they were probably Ulster Scot:

http://i56.tinypic.com/2w35a21.png
Its origin is in a specific town in Perthshire getting towards the Cairngorms.

Another relatives maiden name:

http://i56.tinypic.com/x2sbqq.png
I have no idea why its common in a certain region of Sweden, perhaps its got a Swedish etymology as well, its "Broad".

[Peasant]

:D
Surname:
http://i.imgur.com/skhJC.jpg

Mother's maiden name:
http://i.imgur.com/OTWb3.jpg

Maiden names of grandmothers:
http://i.imgur.com/3qWrY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fFbyx.jpg

Surnames of the Irish ancestry
http://i.imgur.com/M9KWO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/e0035.jpg

[Savant]

Ok, I know this is an uber noob question, but I'm gonna ask it anyways. How do you post web images like that? I can post images on my HD, but I can't figure out what to do for web images...

[Psychonaut]

Ok, I know this is an uber noob question, but I'm gonna ask it anyways. How do you post web images like that? I can post images on my HD, but I can't figure out what to do for web images...

For web images, you use this code:


past the url here

[Artek]

My great-grandparents had english surname Kitson, thanks to your thread i finally found something on surnamedb website :).