Exploring the history of your surname is unlikely to help with growing your family tree, but it’s interesting to imagine where your most distant ancestors lived and what they did, and to understand a little more about something you carry with you through life. In recent times, computer analysis of surname distributions and DNA testing have helped shed extra light on the origins of many names.

Place names account for around half of surname origins, so you may well find a geographical link to your name; occupations and patronymics, ie being named after a father’s first name, account for the origins of most others.

Dictionaries of surnames are an obvious place to start – though surnames expert Dr Graeme Davis warns that many of them can be unreliable, and tend to put an overemphasis on nickname-derived names with precious little evidence. See our list of books and resources here for some of the best places to look.

Even if your surname doesn’t derive from a particular place name, the excellent online surname profiling sites explored on these pages reveal just how names tend to be associated with particular parts of the country anyway – and that could indeed hold clues for more standard genealogy.

Back in 2007 a DNA study by the University of Leicester even managed to demonstrate that more than a third of men with a rare surname from Yorkshire had a Y chromosome type associated with people from West Africa – as this science progresses, perhaps your surname will reveal similar surprises!

Discover your surname’s origins and distribution online

Head to thegenealogist.co.uk and search for a person.
Click on ‘view map of results’ under the record type, this map reveals the distribution of the surname Bright in the 1881 census. Note how it is particularly concentrated in three areas of the country: Essex, Brecon and North Devon.

Now turn to the millennium by searching for births in the year 2000. For Bright, the same three areas remain strongest, but you can see how it has spread more into neighbouring ones.

In Focus: Surnames

Rank	2007	1881	Place (2007)	Meaning (2007 list)
1	Smith	Smith	Shetland	An occupation name from the trade smith – typically a blacksmith, but also on occasions a goldsmith or silversmith
2	Jones	Jones	Blaenau Ffestiniog	It means simply John’s son, and has arisen independently many times. Frequently it is a surname of recent origin, often as recent as the 18th century
3	Williams	Williams	Marianglas	A patronymic strongly associated with Wales, the Welsh borders and South West England
4	Brown	Brown	Newmilns	The most common surname whose origin is not known
5	Taylor	Taylor	Oldham	An occupation name which arose independently many times (the spelling Tailor is uncommon)
6	Davies	Davies	Llanybyther	The name is a patronymic, son of David, and has arisen independently many times
7	Wilson	Wilson	Beith	Another patronymic from William, common in lowland Scotland and north England, especially Cumbria
8	Evans	Evans	Llanybyther	A patronymic from the Welsh first name Evan, usually of recent origin and frequently formed in the 18th century
9	Thomas	Thomas	Llanfymach	A patronymic, the son of Thomas, frequently an 18th-century formation in south Wales
10	Roberts	Roberts	Dolwyddelan	A patronymic from the first name Robert, common in north Wales
11	Johnson	Johnson	Shetland	A variant of Jones, typically found in northern and eastern England
12	Walker	Walker	Leeds	A trade name, a walker being another term for fuller or wool cleaner
13	Wright	White	Holt	Wright is an occupational name from wheelwright, common in eastern England
14	Robinson	Wright	Barnard Castle	Another patronymic from Robert (and more rarely Robin), most often found in the north of England and the East Midlands
15	Thompson	Wood	Belford	Another patronymic from Thomas, common in the north of England
16	Hughes	Robinson	Tycroes	A patronymic, meaning son of Hugh, a Norman name later strong in Wales
17	White	Clark	Wareham	A trade name, strong in southern England, from white or silver smiths
18	Edwards	Thompson	Bala	Another patronymic, from Edward, again common in Wales
19	Hall	Hall	Houghton-le-Spring	A location name, a trade name (hall retainer) and a patronymic (from Hal, short for Harry/Henry)
20	Patel	Green	Wembley	A Hindu and Parsi name literally meaning ‘village headman’