The Growth of Family Names
Abstract
WE have already seen that originally a man had only a single name, OE Godwine or Leofric , ON Brand or Gamel , and, after the Conquest, Robert, Adam or Peter. Such simple names are found by the hundred in twelfth-century documents, but steadily decrease in numbers during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. But already before the Conquest we find names with an additional attribute, Ælfuuard æt Dentune , Cytel Clacces sune , OsferS swade-beard , i.e. ’spade-beard’ (963–92 ASCh). These were not hereditary surnames ; the name was used of only one man and it died with him.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Medieval Literature and History
Linguistics and language evolution
Linguistics and Language Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 296–320
- Publication date
- 26 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter