Open AccessCompass Points in English Surnames
Author(s) -
Christopher K. Starr
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
names
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.2
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1756-2279
pISSN - 0027-7738
DOI - 10.1179/nam.2007.55.4.343
Subject(s) - compass , point (geometry) , genealogy , null hypothesis , sequence (biology) , variety (cybernetics) , set (abstract data type) , geography
West is by far more frequent as an English surname than any of the other compass points, followed in sequence by North, East and South. It has been hypothesized that this is due to the pattern of internal migration in England during the period when surnames were becoming established. An alternative is that this is a matter of fashion, the west of England being seen as exotic and adventurous at that time. These hypotheses are tested using a large data set that considers both the four names mentioned and a variety of compound names that incorporate the four compass points. The evidence does not favor either hypothesis. Rather, it is consistent with the null hypothesis that the adoption and retention of one or another compass-point surname is largely a random process.