Byrne, Chaffey, Fahey, Fizzard, Fudge, Grouchy, Hynes, Inkpen, Lyver, McLaughlin, Miles, Murphy, Puddester, Quirk -- the names themselves are evocative of Newfoundland. Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland traces the origins of almost 3,000 surnames found on the Island and provides an engaging and comprehensive collection of etymology, genealogy, and Newfoundland history. The introduction presents a fascinating discussion of the history and linguistic origins of surnames found in Newfoundland, which come from many different cultures, notably English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, French, Syrian, Lebanese, and Mi'kmaq. The main body of the book comprises a dictionary of surnames in the province based on data collected from provincial voting lists, family records, government documents, and newspaper reports dating back to the seventeenth century. Each entry includes variant spellings and cross-references of the surname, the countries in which the name originated, and its meaning. Newfoundland place names associated with the surname are also given. The book also includes a ranking of the most common surnames in Newfoundland and a comparative analysis of the frequency of surnames in Scotland, Ireland, England, and Newfoundland. Originally published in 1977, Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland is a unique reference work, giving Newfoundlanders, both in the province and away, a fascinating look at their roots. This edition incorporates a number of additions and corrections and has been completely reset in a sturdier and more convenient format. It will be of great use to individuals tracing their ancestors and to genealogists researching early settlers in Newfoundland.

E.R. Seary's profile page

William Kirwin's profile page

E.R. Seary (1908-1984) was professor and head of the English department at Memorial University, 1954-70. His other publications include The Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland: An Ethno-Linguistic Study, with G.M. Story and W.J. Kirwin, and Place Names of the Avalon Peninsula of the Island of Newfoundland.

William Kirwin is professor emeritus of English at Memorial University of Newfoundland

"A work of major importance." Dr. Edward MacLysaght, author of Surnames of Ireland, Irish Families

"[Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland]\ is nothing less than a catalogue of Newfoundlanders as a distinct and unique tribe ... It should sell like hot cakes and sit, side by side, with the family Bible." Ray Guy, Newfoundland author

"The work itself is entirely and uniquely his own in concept and presentation and bears the mark of his exacting standards of scholarship ... The names themselves have a fascination not only for people in the Province who know them or who bear them but also for anyone interested in the establishment of families and their names in this erstwhile corner of British influence which still maintains a fierce sense of identity and independence. The study of the names and their origins and distribution is in itself a study of the history and settlement of the province and of the relationships between the island and those parts of Europe from which the majority of settlers came." - J.D.A. Widdowson, Editor of Lore and Language

"Perusing Seary's comments on the surnames of friends can be as gratifying as backyard gossip, and infinitely less dangerous ... A book that every school in Newfoundland should possess and display." Professor P.A. O'Flaherty