Surnames
What's in a name?
The answer is plenty. Every name tells a story and students are always curious about theirs.

Hispanic Surnames and Family History
Lyman D. Platt, Ph.D.
This is the most comprehensive analytical work on Hispanic surnames ever published! In addition to showing the dispersions and commonalties of Hispanic surnames throughout the America, Dr. Platt presents an extensive bibliography of Hispanic family histories in the United States and Latin America. Paperbound, 349 pp., 1996. $19.95    #116

American Surnames
Elsdon Smith
The author provides readers with the meanings of over 2,000 of the most common surnames in the United States today. He also discusses how we got our names, ways in which surnames were changed by immigrants, and the derivation of European, Asian, black, and Indian names. 290 pp., (1969) reprinted 1994. $16.95    #117

Dictionary of German Names
Hans Bahlow. Translated by Edda Gentry.
This volume lists over 15,000 German names, together with variant spellings, and gives the meanings and history of each name, often citing occurrences of the names and where they appeared. It is an invaluable tool for genealogical researchers. The Author's Introduction gives readers a glimpse at names derived from geographical place-names and from occupations. Some entries will provide a chuckle, while others offer a sense of wonder and pride. Hardcover, 641 pages, 1993.
$28.00    #136