GENEALOGY
Surnames of the World
TERM 3: FOCUS ON GN303
Thursday
Sean Murphy
The course will commence with a reflection on how surnames or family names first arose and have evolved, noting that the process is still continuing in the developing world. Having dealt with the Irish naming system, we will then proceed to consider surnames of England, Wales and Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Russia, United States of America, Africa and China, also Asian, Jewish and Arabic names. There will be in-class study and discussion of surnames in students' pedigrees, which will be mainly of Gaelic origin but will also feature names introduced by immigrants from medieval times to the present.
The further back we go the more surnames appear in our pedigrees, four applying to our paternal and maternal grandparents, eight to our great-grandparents, and so on. Study and discussion in classes will be aided by reference to a selection of works on surnames and use will also be made of appropriate websites. In general, surnames are essential in an urbanised and industrialised world for purposes of identification and recording of individuals by the state and various organisations. Iceland is a special case, in that it is the only developed nation which has not developed fixed surnames. We will consider why certain surnames are popular in various countries, for example, the number one surnames in Ireland, England, France, Poland and China are respectively Murphy, Smith, Martin, Nowak and Wang. Finally, the surnames of the 'new Irish' or recent immigrants will receive due attention.
| BELFIELD | ||
| 6 Thursdays | April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23 | 7.30pm - 9.30pm |
| FEE: €115 | Print Open Learning Application Form 2012.13 or ring (01) 716-7123 for Laser/credit card payment |
Tutor Bio :
Sean Murphy (MA) is a graduate of University College Dublin and specialises in genealogy/history of the family. In addition to teaching work, he is also a professional genealogist and consultant, has published widely, given talks to societies and groups and participated in radio and television programmes.
Provisional list of key topics to be covered
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Origin and classification of surnames
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Irish surnames
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Surnames of Britain and other European countries
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Surnames of Russia, America and Asia
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Analysing surnames in students' pedigrees
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Continuing evolution of surname
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for those who are interested in surnames or family names, how they have evolved and the different forms they take in Ireland and other countries around the world.
Reading List:
The following is a selection of recommended texts for those interested in reading further around the course content. We advise that you do not buy books in advance of the course as your tutor will discuss the list and suggest the most relevant reading for particular interests.
Edward MacLysaght, Surnames of Ireland, 6th Edition, Irish Academic Press, Dublin 1991
Sean Murphy, ‘Survey of Irish Surnames 1992-97’, 2009, published online at http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy/studies/surnames.pdf
Basil Cottle, The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames, Penguin Books, 2nd Edition 1978
