John and Sheila Rowlands recently published an updated, expanded edition of “The Surnames of Wales,” first published in 1996.
In this new edition, the authors discuss the complexity of Welsh naming practices, including patronymic surnames and women retaining their surnames. The Welsh use certain prefixes, like “ap” meaning “son of,” and sometimes these become part of the surname when people move to other countries.
Their survey of surnames across Wales ties in with some of the many maps in the book showing distribution and frequency, such as for the two most common names, Jones and Williams.
After their intense analysis of surnames, especially the distribution in the early 1800s, they include a glossary of surnames, explaining each one's origins, meaning, and areas where found. They follow that with a chapter on given or first names. A one-page appendix explains how their survey can help predict where a surname comes from in Wales, and the limited research offered by the National Library of Wales at llgc.org.uk under Services and Enquiries. There are other resources on the library's website.
This softcover book is for those seriously interested in learning more about Welsh surnames and their potential origins and should be read carefully. It is available for $39.95 plus $4.50 postage from the Genealogical Publishing Co., 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953. Check genealogical.com for other books on Wales and many different topics.
Facebook and genealogy
Many groups use Facebook to communicate the latest about their organization.
Connect on Facebook to the Georgia Archives and to the Friends of Georgia Archives and History, and “like” each to begin receiving notifications. The Georgia Archives site (be sure to like the “official” site that says Government Organization) includes photographs of documents from their collection.
You can use Facebook to set up a free page for your own project, as my cousins did when working on a family photograph project, sharing photographs only among close relatives.
Search suggestions
When searching online, try various techniques the service allows, including quotation marks, a minus sign to exclude a word, an asterisk to fill a space where spelling can vary, or using two periods to suggest a number range, such as 1920..1930. Using alternatives may turn up something new.
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