Guild of One-Name Studies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Guild of One-Name Studies is a UK-based charitable organisation for one-name studies.
A one-name study is a project, carried out by a single person, or a group, researching all occurrences of a particular surname and its variants, throughout the world, over all recorded time.
Typically, the researchers will also study the etymology of the surname, and its geographical distribution. Sometimes, especially if the surname is also a place name, they will try to identify a single place of origin of the surname.
Before starting on a one-name study, it is advisable to determine if the surname is so common as to make the study too difficult. Smith, for example, is unlikely ever to be a feasible subject for a one-name study. Also, before beginning, it is necessary to have mastered the general principles of regular genealogy and be familiar with the usual source materials.
