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origins of names

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Katharine

Katharine Report 15 Dec 2004 21:44

are there any sites anyone could recommend for finding out the origins of a name that are a) reliable b) free I'm trying to find out the origins of the surnames Ogden Betterton Bodle Woodham Thanks

Unknown

Unknown Report 15 Dec 2004 22:05

Katharine I don't know of any sites and I'm not sure how one would check if they are reliable anyway. There was a thread on here from someone who had a book of surname origins - try putting surname(s) into the search box to find it. Otherwise, you could try googling the name + origin or meaning. nell

Sam

Sam Report 16 Dec 2004 00:14

Hi There was a free Cd on Dec issue of Your Family Tree which contained 'Surnames of The United Kingdom 1912'. I looked yours up, Betterton didn't appear but this is what it has for the other three: OGDEN English. Belonging to Odgen (Lancs, Yorks, Hants etc) a voiced form of Oakden. BODLE Scot. A corrupt form of Bothwell. The old persons name Bodo + the french diminuative suffix -el. WOODHAM Belongong to Woodham, or a dweller at the enclosure by the wood. (Old English wudu + ham). The middle english form was usually Wodeham as in the case of one of the Essex places and an Essex Wodeham occurs in Queen Epelflaeds will (10th century) in the dated form of Wudaham. Sorry if these don't make sense, I have copied them as they are written on the disc. Sam