The Homes of Family Names

O nly one serious attempt has been made to deal with the distribution of English family names, that of Guppy, which will be discussed later. As with other aspects of the history of surnames, the abundant material still awaits collection and analysis. The modern distribution of surnames is no safe guide. Families have migrated from county to county, surnames have changed and many modern surnames have more than one origin. Accuracy is impossible unless we can trace back the family surname to an unequivocal form which establishes its origin and for this we must delve deep into genealogy, ever on guard against equating impossible forms 1 and alive to the dangers of succumbing to the fascination of family pride in legendary origins.