What's in a Name? Everything You Wanted to Know. New, Revised Edition (New Rev)

by Leonard R.N. Ashley and Léonard R. N. Ashley

Book Overview

What's in a Name? will tell you the facts behind the names of persons, places and things; about how names are chosen for business and for success; how they are used for everything from tracing settlement patterns to telling fortunes; how forenames have their fashions; where surnames had their origins; all about names in the U.S. and around the globe.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806312610
• ISBN13: 9780806312613
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Genealogical Publishing Company
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Ten Stars Would not be Good Enough!

This extremely interesting, entertaining, informative, and amusing book should at be browsed thru by anyone interested in the beginnings and development of just about all the names and title you can think of, and they are not simply English ones either. From the originations of Colonial names, first and last, even middle, to towns and cities, streets, parks. Boys and girls names, including a critique of ones not in vogue or in vogue. Funny mismatched names, some invented by the author, others supposedly real. Literary and magic names, names of saints and Biblical names..Even names of music groups.Palindromes, puzzles..the list and fun practically never end!..So do yourself a great favor, and order a brand new copy of this totally unique and timeless book right now!

Will be read with enthusiasm from cover to cover

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, Leonard Ashley's What's In A Name?: Everything You Wanted To Know continues to be a unique contribution and resource for aspiring genealogists and the non-specialist general reader with an interest for anyone who has ever wondered about the origin and meaning of their name. Ashley divides his informative presentation to sections devoted to Persons (forenames, surnames, nicknames, titles, name changes, aliases and pseudonyms, married names, etc.); Places (American placenames, Amerindian names, local, regional, and global placenames); Things (naming patterns, business names); Names, Language, And Literature (word play, name inflation, names into words, names in literature); Names And The Occult (names in magic, fortunetelling with names); What To Name The Baby (tips for giving a child a good name, the subjective factor in naming). Superbly written and presented, What's In A Name? will be read with enthusiasm from cover to cover, and would serve as an ideal text on onomastics and the nature of names.