The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland contains more than 3,800 entries covering the majority of family names that are established and current in Ireland, both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland. It establishes reliable and accurate explanations of historical origins (including etymologies) and provides variant spellings for each name as well as its geographical distribution, and, where relevant, genealogical and bibliographical notes for family names that have more than 100 bearers in the 1911 census of Ireland. Of particular value are the lists of early bearers of family names, extracted from sources ranging from the medieval period to the nineteenth century, providing for the first time, the evidence on which many surname explanations are based, as well as interesting personal names, locations and often occupations of potential family forbears. This unique Dictionary will be of the greatest interest not only to those interested in Irish history, students of the Irish language, genealogists, and geneticists, but also to the general public, both in Ireland and in the Irish diaspora in North America, Australia, and elsewhere.

From Abbas Combe to Zennor, this dictionary gives the meaning and origin of place names in the British Isles, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day.

A dictionary of 1300 place names of the nine Ulster counties, it provides the derivation and meaning, as well as interesting local background information on each name.

Every populated place, however small, has a name, and every name is chosen for a reason. This fascinating dictionary gives the history, meanings, and origin of an enormous range of country, region, island, city, and town names from across the world, as well as the name in the local language. It also includes key historical facts associated with many place names. Place-names are continually changing. New names are adopted for many different reasons such as invasion, revolution, and decolonization. This dictionary includes selected former names, and, where appropriate, some historical detail to explain the transition. The names of places often offer a real insight into the places themselves, revealing religious and cultural traditions, the migration of peoples, the ebb and flow of armies, the presence of explorers, local languages, industrial developments and topography. Superstition and legend can also play a part. All this fascinating detail is included in the Concise Dictionary of World Place Names. In addition to the entries themselves, the dictionary includes two appendices: a glossary of foreign word elements which appear in place names and their meanings, and a list of personalities and leaders from all over the world who have influenced the naming of places. Containing over 10,000 names, from Aachen to Zyrardów, this is a unique and fascinating guide for geographers, travellers, and all with an interest in current world affairs.

‘Celtic Places’ are typified by some several hundred townships and villages whose names still bear the imprint of their earliest Celtic roots, but the scope of the book is not restricted to human settlements; it is also true of the many mountains and rivers that they named, and to several thousand sites of standing stone monuments, Celtic high crosses, henges, hill figures, funeral barrows and hillforts, which are all included in the book. What they all have in common is that they reflect the rich cultural heritage that was implicit in the names of places in the British Isles and Ireland as it existed before the Romans arrived.

Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. More than 4,000 Gaelic, Norman and Anglo-Irish surnames are listed in this book, giving a wealth of information on the background and location of Irish families. Edward MacLysaght was a leading authority on Irish names and family history. He served as Chief Herald and Genealogical Officer of the Irish Office of Arms. He was also Keeper of Manuscripts of the National Library of Ireland and was Chairman of the Manuscripts Commission. This book, which was first published in 1957 and now is in its sixth edition, is being reprinted for the fourth time and remains the definitive record of Irish surnames, their genealogy and their origins.

In this handbook, scholars from around the world offer an up-to-date account of the state of the art in different areas of onomastics, in a format that is both useful to specialists in related fields and accessible to the general reader. Since Ancient Greece, names have been regarded as central to the study of language, and this has continued to be a major theme of both philosophical and linguistic enquiry throughout the history of Western thought. The investigation of name origins is more recent, as is the study of names in literature. Relatively new is the study of names in society, which draws on techniques from sociolinguistics and has gradually been gathering momentum over the last few decades. The structure of this volume reflects the emergence of the main branches of name studies, in roughly chronological order. The first Part focuses on name theory and outlines key issues about the role of names in language, focusing on grammar, meaning, and discourse. Parts II and III deal with the study of place-names and personal names respectively, while Part IV outlines contrasting approaches to the study of names in literature, with case studies from different languages and time periods. Part V explores the field of socio-onomastics, with chapters relating to the names of people, places, and commercial products. Part VI then examines the interdisciplinary nature of name studies, before the concluding Part presents a selection of animate and inanimate referents ranging from aircraft to animals, and explains the naming strategies adopted for them.

First published in 1926, this book remains the best and most comprehensive guide to the Celtic place-names of Scotland and is essential reading for anyone interested in Scottish history and the derivations of place-names the length and breadth of the country. It is divided into sections dealing with early names, territorial divisions, general surveys of areas and also looks at saints, church terms and river names. As the standard reference work on the subject it has never been surpassed. This edition contains a new introduction which includes biographical material about the author, together with corrigenda and addenda.