Genealogy

Is your research time wasted looking up words like "beamster," "grimgribber," "anascara," and "wainbote" in regular dictionaries? Ever heard of a "gossip's wheel" or a "shank's mare"? These and other unusual terms are defined in Ancestry's Concise Genealogical Dictionary.

A Dictionary of English Surnames is an authoritative and enlightening guide to the origins of English surnames and how they developed over the centuries. A comprehensive survey of this popular subject, it provides useful information on 16,000 surnames, giving full sources and dates. Different forms of names are also cross-referenced for ease of use. A valuable historical and linguistic introduction to the subject is included, along with a new appendix on how to trace the origin of a family name.

Irish Families was first published in 1957. Its aim was to correct errors long current and to present in an accessible form essential facts about Irish nomenclature and families. It immediately established itself as the book on the subject. This fourth edition has been reset; many articles have been revised or added to; additionally there are new appendices and a glossary of technical terms.