Lesson 2: What's In A Name? British Surnames Derived from Places
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Lesson 2: What's In A Name? British Surnames Derived from Places
Over half of all English surnames used today are derived from the names of places where people lived. This type is known as a locative surname. For example, a man called John who lived near the marsh, might be known as John Marsh. John who lived in the dell was called John Dell. Other examples are John Brook, John Lake, and John Rivers.