"Misplaced" Names in Reaney & Wilson

Jeanne Marie Lacroix (Martha L. Ranc)
Last revised 20 October 2003

This is a list of names that may be considered "misplaced", that is not located under a heading you would expect, in Reaney & Wilson. For the most part I did not include common spelling variations (such a dropping an h or switching an i and a y), nor do I include most variations of locatives (such as bi---, by the -- , othe--, atte, at-, etc.). I have included some names that are simply translations (e.g. Infans under Child). In some cases where there are several similar variations, I have only included a single variation. Some of the names appear on the list simply because of the changes in spelling (and pronunciation) that have occurred over time. This list is subjective and is not intended to be exhaustive; it is intended to give people a list of names that they may not have found on their own. The source is A Dictionary of English Surnames by P.H. Reaney and R. M. Wilson, 3^rd ed., Oxford, 1995.

All descriptions under Meaning are quoted from Reaney and Wilson unless included in square brackets. Those are my comments (and interpretations). Reference indicates that the name is not a comparison or related to the entry header but is simply mentioned – or referenced – in the entry. Latin indicates that the byname is from a record written in Latin.