Online Resources

• The genealogy site Ancestry.com offers some basic information on the history of last names.
• Behind the Name: The Etymology and History of Surnames
• Forbears
• The Oxford Reference Collection Online has a number of e-reference books that will have this type of information including A Dictionary of First Names.
  • From our homepage use the Find a Database under the SuperSearch box. You will find it in alphabetical order under "O".
• If your name is pretty common, and you want to go deeper into the etymology, try the Oxford English Dictionary (at Oxford University Press).
  • From our homepage use the Find a Database under the SuperSearch box. You will find it in alphabetical order under "O".

Print Resources

• A Dictionary of First Names
  • Available electronically through the Oxford Reference Online Premium Collection
• The Surnames Handbook : A Guide to Family Name Research in the 21st Century
  • Available electronically.
• Family Names: How Our Names Came to America
  • Call Number: CS2487 .H66 1982
  • Available at Johnson Library and Sturgis Library General Collection
• A Dictionary of Surnames
  • Call Number: CS2385 .H27 1988
  • Available at Johnson Library Reference Collection and Sturgis Library Reference Collection

In-Person Assistance

Don't hesitate to contact a librarian for help!