Podcast Episode Details
Back to Podcast Episodes
History's most unfortunate surnames
The tradition of inheriting your parents' surname is not that old, particularly in the English-speaking world. Surnames only started appearing in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, and were usually based on a person's occupation (like "Smith"), their location, a filial relationship, or even a nickname. Many of history's more 'unfortunate' surnames have gone extinct, but some still survive.
- Guest: Harry Parkin, University of Chester, editor of the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain
- Producer: Jack Schmidt
Published on 4 months, 2 weeks ago