The medieval era gave rise to fascinating surnames, each with a story to tell. From knights and nobles to blacksmiths and merchants, most medieval last names reflected a person’s trade ...

Thousands of quirky medieval English surnames recorded in the Domesday Book are extinct or dying out, the Sunday People can reveal. And we are left with a core of about 100 common family names ...

But many surnames make no sense at all, at least not to the average Joe without a degree in Old English or Celtic genealogy ... They also combed medieval and modern census documents, church ...