Wikipedia:WikiProject Anthroponymy/External resources (etymology)

The following is a list of free online sources for the reliable etymological origins of given names and surnames.

Surnames

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Description

Ancestry.com has transcribed info from a recent edition of Dictionary of American Family Names.

Quick link to resource

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/

How to use in article

You need to enter the correct surname between the quotation marks, since Raven is only an example. In some cases you may need to add multiple surnames, for example the wiki-statement you are sourcing may be referenced from info about the surnames Ravenhill and Raven, in this case use for the surnames "Ravenhill" and "Raven".

Code	`<ref>{{citation \|url=http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx? \|title=Learn about the family history of your surname \|publisher=[[Ancestry.com]] \|accessdate={{subst:date}}}}, which cited: {{citation \|title=Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd Edition \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|isbn=9780190245115}}, for the surname "Raven".</ref>`
Output	Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 21 December 2024, which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780190245115, for the surname "Raven".

Dictionary of American Family Names (Volume 2 G—N; 2003; ISBN 0195165578

This work has been made freely available via the Internet Archive; however, it does require that you have a free registration with the Internet Archive, and you must borrow the text for either one hour or fourteen days.

Link to the work at Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer0000unse_r0m5/

Additional fields to consider adding to general sample below

accessdate
pages

{{Cite book |editor-last=Hanks |editor-first=Patrick |url=http://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer0000unse_r0m5 |title=Dictionary of American family names |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |pages= |url-access=registration |accessdate= |via=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-19-508137-4 }}

New dictionary of American family names (1972; ISBN 978-0-06-013933-9 )

This work has been made freely available via the Internet Archive; however, it does require that you have a free registration with the Internet Archive, and you must borrow the text for either one hour or fourteen days.

A comment associated with the linked record suggests that this work is inferior to the works of Hanks (e.g. Dictionary of American Family Names)

Link to the work at Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/newdictionaryofa00smi_sln/

Additional fields to consider adding to general sample below

accessdate
pages

{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Elsdon Coles |url=http://archive.org/details/newdictionaryofa00smi_sln |title=New dictionary of American family names |publisher=Harper & Row |year=1972 |isbn=978-0-06-013933-9 |location=New York |pages= |url-access=registration |accessdate= |via=Internet Archive}}

Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (Volume 2; 1918)

Volume 2 of this work has been made available for free access via the Internet Archive. A comment has been added to this record asking after Volume 1 without response.

Link to the work at Internet Archive: http://archive.org/details/cu31924092512635

Additional fields to consider adding to general sample below

accessdate
pages

{{Cite book|last=Harrison|first=Henry|url=http://archive.org/details/cu31924092512635|title=Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary|last2=|first2=|date=|publisher=London : Eaton Press|others=Assisted by Gyᵭa Harrison; text provided by Cornell University Library|year=1918|isbn=|volume=Volume 2|location=London|pages= |via=Intenet Archive|accessdate= }}

The Penguin dictionary of surnames (reprint; 1967; ISBN 978-0-14-051032-4)

This work has been made freely available via the Internet Archive; however, it does require that you have a free registration with the Internet Archive, and you must borrow the text for either one hour or fourteen days.

Link to the work at Internet Archive: http://archive.org/details/penguindictionar00cott

Additional fields to consider adding to general sample below

accessdate
pages

{{Cite book|last=Cottle|first=Basil|url=http://archive.org/details/penguindictionar00cott|title=The Penguin dictionary of surnames|date=|publisher=Penguin Books|others=|year=1978|isbn=978-0-14-051032-4|edition=Reprint|location=New York|author-link=Basil Cottle|orig-year=1967|url-access=registration|pages= |via=Internet Archive|accessdate= }}

English Surnames. Essays on... (Vol 1, 3rd edition, 1849)

This work has been made freely available via Google Books.

Link to the work at Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=YeILt9cjl6cC&newbks=0

Additional fields to consider adding to general sample below

accessdate
pages

{{Cite book|last=Lower|first=Mark Antony|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YeILt9cjl6cC&newbks=0|title=English Surnames. Essays on family nomenclature, historical, etymological, and humourous. With chapters of rebuses and canting arms, the Roll of Battel Abbey, a List of latinized surnames, etc|date=|publisher=John Russell Smith|year=1849|isbn=|edition=3rd|volume=Volume 1|location=London|language=en|author-link=Mark Antony Lower|pages= |via=Google Books|accessdate= }}

Given names

A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press, 2006

Description

Encyclopedia.com has transcribed info from a 2006 edition of A Dictionary of First Names. This edition appears to be different than the edition transcribed by Ancestry.com (see below).

Quick link to resource

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Susie.html To search for a name simply substitute the name Susie for another.

How to use in article

You need to add the correct url, since http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Susie.html is only an example.
You need to add the correct accessdate, since 4 February 2011 is only an example.
You need to enter the correct given name between the quotation marks, since Susie is only an example. In some cases you may need to add multiple given names, for example the wiki-statement you are sourcing may be referenced from info about the given names Susan and Susie, in this case use for the given names "Susan" and "Susie".

Code <ref>{{citation |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Susie.html |title=Susie |publisher=[[Encyclopedia.com]] |accessdate=4 February 2011 }}, which cited: {{citation |title=A Dictionary of First Names |year=2006 |last1=Hanks |first1=Patrick |last2=Hardcastle |authorlink1=Patrick Hanks |first2=Kate |last3=Hodges |first3=Flavia |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] }}, for the given name "Susie".</ref>

Output Susie, Encyclopedia.com, retrieved 4 February 2011, which cited: Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press, for the given name "Susie".

A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192800507

Description

Ancestry.com has transcribed info from an edition of A Dictionary of First Names. This edition appears to be different than the edition transcribed by Encyclopedia.com (see above).

Quick link to resource

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx? You need to search for a surname first, then you have the ability to search for a given name.

How to use in article

You need to add in the correct accessdate, since 4 February 2011 is only an example.
You need to enter the correct given name between the quotation marks, since Susie is only an example. In some cases you may need to add multiple given names, for example the wiki-statement you are sourcing may be referenced from info about the given names Susan and Susie, in this case use for the given names "Susan" and "Susie".

Code	`<ref>{{citation \|url=http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx? \|title=Learn about the family history of your surname \|publisher=[[Ancestry.com]] \|accessdate=4 February 2011 }}, which cited: {{citation \|title=A Dictionary of First Names \|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] \|isbn=0192800507 }}, for the given name "Susie".</ref>`
Output	Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 4 February 2011, which cited: A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192800507, for the given name "Susie".

Personal names in general

The Romance of Names (1914)

This work has been made freely available via the Internet Archive.

Link to the work at Google Books: http://archive.org/details/dli.granth.91400

Additional fields to consider adding to general sample below

accessdate
pages

{{Cite book|last=Weekley|first=Ernest|url=http://archive.org/details/dli.granth.91400|title=The Romance of Names|date=|publisher=John Murray|year=1914|isbn=|location=London|pages= |via=Internet Archive|accessdate= }}