Surnames, Language & Identity in Cheshire

Dr Harry Parkin, a senior lecturer in English Language at the University of Chester and editor of The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, shares his research on the surnames that reveal Cheshire's history.

The names we are given reveal a huge amount about our ancestors and the areas they came from. The family names found in Cheshire reflect the great cultural and linguistic diversity of the region. Research into their origins tells us about past stages of the English language, and the county’s history, people and identity. The five most common surnames in Cheshire in 1881 were Jones, Smith, Davies, Williams, and Taylor. These are also some of the most common in Britain, and so they do not tell us much about the unique history of Cheshire. Some of the names that are much more common to Cheshire than any other county in Britain include Pleavin, Skellern, Coppenhall, and Pimblott, and it is these which provide more of an insight into the county’s individual identity.

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NOTE:  This meeting is via Zoom and takes place at 2pm 

This event is for members only and registration is open, please press ‘Register [Individual]’ button below on the left and then click 'Process your Registration, you will receive an email confirmation. Registration will close on 13th October at noon and the links will be sent out that afternoon. 

Find out more about The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain   here 👉https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198868255.001.0001/acref-9780198868255