Where can I find out the meaning or origin of my last name for free? ?

I don't want to pay for my own information if I don't have to. Are there any sites that have an extensive last name database without asking for payment? I would like to know what my last name means and perhaps what country it originated in.

Where can I find out the meaning or origin of my last name for free? ?
I have several different routes when researching name origins.


First, I google "origin of _________" (put the last name in the blank). this usually gves me several choices, from webster's name dictionary, wikiopedia, babynames, etc.


Then I also use www.ancestry.com Now, they will let you type in a last name only for free. then the search page goes to the results, which you are only able to see part of with out paying. That's ok. Here's the secret: Look above the listings, and see where it says "switch back to old ancestry"or something like that. Click on that, and it wil take you back to the old way ancestry did searches. Here you will see the same search page, where you can't see much if you don't pay, but look to the left column and here you may see "origin of the name, ports of departure, distribution in USA, England, Germany, Scotland, etc. These things you can click on and view. They also show where you can click on message boards with people talking about that last name. I find a lot of name info that way.


You can also try www.familysearch.org and see some of the census listings for free. Here you may find where your ancestor came from.





There are a lot of on line sites that have name info, you just have to put it into the search engines as :origin of name_(last name)__ or _(name)_meaning or ___(name)__origin.





Have fun and good luck searching.
Reply:Here's the thing. If you find meaning or origin information online, especially for free, you aren't getting your own information. You are getting very general surname info that may or may not have anything to do with you. For instance, my surname is Warner. If I look online, I am told that it is a German name deriving from the given name Werner. A more detailed description tells me that it may be a contracted form of "Warrener" - some one who lives or works in a game park. I can then find lists of a few famous people with my surname or various English Warners who may or may not be related. However, because I have done quite a bit of family tree research, I actually know more information that is far more interesting and pertinent to me, such as the fact that my 11th great grandfather William Warner immigrated from Essex County, England about 1637 to Ipswich, Massachusetts Colony with his daughter Abigail and two sons, John and Daniel. Yes, I had to invest a little money and a lot of time to get from me to my ancestor, but I have something a free site on the internet can't give me.


So, long story short - surname meanings or origins are interesting, but no substitute for real research.
Reply:Do a search on the web, everyone has a cousin that they haven't seen in years who has done some of the research already. in a search engine type in


(your last name)+genealogy


you can also try


(your last name)+family


Good Luck
Reply:Try this website.








http://www.searchforancestors.com/surnam...





It is really helpful.
Reply:wikipedia maybe

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