Has anyone bought the Our Name family name books from Ancestry.com?

Question

They're sold on Amazon.com and on Target.com, and they're supposed to give a history of a family surname. My grandfather would LOVE this, but it's $30 without shipping. Has anyone else bought this book? Were you impressed, satisfied, or disappointed with the quality of the book?

Answer 1

Years ago, I bought a book of this type (a "Beatrice Bayley" publication)--and sent it right back.  As I recall, it didn't even have a chapter on the origin of the family name under consideration--just on the origins of family names in general.  Besides the mention of famous people with that name, it had telephone directory listings for people of that name throughout the country (in case the buyer wanted to call them and ask whether they were related, I suppose).

For more on the subject, check out this article: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/ar...  Since it's actually on the Ancestry.com website  (but also on several others), their product MAY actually be more informative, but don't expect much relevant detail.  This site, too, may be of interest: http://www.mygrandrapids.info/name_colle... .

Answer 2

Books like that are totally useless for genealogy.  Not everyone with the same surname are related and shares ancestors.

The only way a person can know their origins is to trace their family going back one generation at a time.  You don't trace your name.  Surnames are helpful in identifying people.  Most people in Europe didn't have one until the last melennium.

They were based on a) being the son of someone, i.e., Johnson, Jones, Johns means son of John.  Can you imagine how many men named John that had sons or men named Williamson, Williams etc were son of men named William.

b) their occupation: Barber, Taylor, Carpenter, Clark(clerk), Baker, Miller, Fisher,

Smith

c) where they lived.  Sam that lived on a hill became Sam Hill.  It could be for the name of the town or castle they lived close to and a person can make a mistake in assuming because they had an ancestor living near a castle with the same name that somehow they are related to the Lord of the Manor.

d) some characteristic about them.  Men with brown hair frequently took the name Brown.  Other names White or Whitehead, Short, Stout, Sharp, Black etc.

Most in England had one by the end of the 14th century.  However, legitimate sons of the same man could have wound up with a different surname but still they could have each shared their surname with others with whom they were not related.  

It was a couple of more centuries, in many cases, where the same surname was passed down from father to son through the generations.

If the book is on the Ancestry.Com website, is it being recommended by Ancestry.Com or is it just an advertisement on their website?

The surname product business is not a very reputable one with genealogist.  Often times they sell coats of arms(misnomer family crest) as if they belong to everyone with a particular surname.  Frequently the coats of arms and the family history that comes with them are valid but they just don't

apply to every person with that name.

Answer 3

At $30 it won't be a genalogy book. It will list the surname origin (Which, if your surname is "Carpenter", is a gimme.)

It will list some famous people named Carpenter, who may or may not (probably not) be related to you. It may have some interesting facts, like when the first Carpenter arrived in the USA. Again, the first one may or may not be related to you.

An "Ancestors of" report would take a competent genealogist at least 40 hours, at $25 / hour or more, to prepare for any given person. There's no way Ancestry can sell a book for $30 that will have any usable genealogy facts in it.

Answer 4

No ... read the comments at the bottom people should right what they like =) it always works for me when i buy things from amazon ... =)

good luck =)