Patronymics: The Cause of Common Surnames in Wales Darris G. Williams [email protected] Twitter: @Darris

With so many common surnames in Wales, researching your family can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Those common surnames came from a naming custom called patronymics. In this class you will learn how to recognize the difference between patronymic names and surnames. That knowledge will lead to new discoveries about your family.

Learning to recognize naming customs and patterns will help you be a more successful family historian.

Patronymics Patronymics is a naming custom where a person’s name includes the name of their father. One or more grandfather’s name may also be included to identify the person better. The patronymic naming system in Wales continued in some parts of the country well into the 1800s, especially in North Wales. Some Welsh words may be included in a patronymic name to signify the person was a son or daughter.

• Mab or map = son of (often seen as ab or ap) • Ferch or verch = daughter of (often shortened to vch, vz or ach) • In South Wales ab or ap was not always used

Examples of patronymic names • Margaret ferch Evan Thomas Prees • Gwenllian vz Evan David Frances • Evan Rees ap John • Roger John Howell Roger • David William

The transition from patronymics to surnames. The use of patronymic names did not end on a specific date. Families adopted fixed surnames at different times. Some families may have switched to fixed surnames in the 1590s and others in the same parish made the switch in the 1790s. Wealthy families and those who lived close to England and families in the South of Wales were more likely to adopt fixed surnames early, some as early as the late 1500s. The patronymic naming system continued in some parts of Wales well into the 1800s.

Patronymics Fixed Surname • Evan Howell Prydderch • Evan Powell • Evan ap Thomas Rees • Evan Thomas • Mary verch Evan ap Griffith • Mary Evans • Mary Evan • Mary Evans • Thomas John Rees ap Eynon • Thomas Jones

Four record types that show the use of patronymics. • Census: By 1851 only a few families were using patronymics. The census makes it easy to recognize patronymics if they were used. • Parish registers: Christening, marriage and burial records vary in the detail provided. Look at several pages before and after the entry for your ancestor to get a sense of the naming custom for that parish and time. • Newspapers: these start in 1804 and can help with clues when families were transitioning away from the use of patronymics.

• Probate: These are probably the best records to illustrate the use of patronymics within a family and a parish. The probate abstracts are a quick and easy way to access this information.

Search Strategies • If you cannot find a christening record, assume that patronymics were used and search again with only the given name. • Example: If the christening of William Griffith cannot be found, look for William, the son of Griffith ______. • Search within one county rather than the whole country. This will provide fewer names in the result list to work through. • Try a given name search in burials. • Women often retained their father’s name after marriage. • Watch for place-names, relatives and occupations that match known information. • Combine details from several different record types: census, probate, church, and newspapers.

Tactics for Success • Kill off your ancestor • Always search both the Parish Registers and Bishops Transcripts • Use indexes • Never trust indexes (Hank Jones said an index is the best place to hide information) • Watch for patronymics: David Thomas Howell is a clue • Search by given name • Learn about the area where they lived • Know the population of your place • Do not limit a search to a small geographic area • Browse records page by page • “Every word in every record may have a hint for you.” Kay Haviland Freilich (10 May 2013) • Work with a specific question/goal: • Who were the parents of Margaret Evan who married Thomas Howell at Llangiwg, Glamorgan on 3 May 1751? • Find your ancestor in every census • When you learn new information, go back and search newspaper indexes again • “The best place to find new information is in your old information.” Anthony Camp

• After a research session write down some notes about what you learned/observed • “Draw conclusions based on the strength of links between multiple sources.” Kahlile Mehr 16 August 2004 • Farm names are like a national ID or social security number: John Williams Gellilwca • Official records are more likely to use fixed surnames to identify a person. • David Thomas death certificate, 1842 • David Thomas Howell newspaper death notice, 1842

Bibliography

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