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ArchivesPerhaps this should be ...
... on the Surnames Board? But it's pretty quiet there in my experience.
Today's Telegraph has a fascinating article about surname distribution and popularity - which seems to show that people tend to change their surnames if these are embarrassing; I wouldn't be surprised if a woman, unsure which boyfriend to marry, chose the one not named Smellie, which would also impact on the statistics.
As for the popularity of Nelson in Brazil, they suspect a Mandela link with Portuguese names, which seems improbable. When the future leader started school, it was routine to give children Western names, and when he turned out not to have one, his teacher chose Nelson. QED. No suggestion that the teacher was Portuguese ... she could just as well have chosen Wellington and may have done so for a child nobody has heard of.
Anyway, enjoy!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/31/nsurnames31.xml
Today's Telegraph has a fascinating article about surname distribution and popularity - which seems to show that people tend to change their surnames if these are embarrassing; I wouldn't be surprised if a woman, unsure which boyfriend to marry, chose the one not named Smellie, which would also impact on the statistics.
As for the popularity of Nelson in Brazil, they suspect a Mandela link with Portuguese names, which seems improbable. When the future leader started school, it was routine to give children Western names, and when he turned out not to have one, his teacher chose Nelson. QED. No suggestion that the teacher was Portuguese ... she could just as well have chosen Wellington and may have done so for a child nobody has heard of.
Anyway, enjoy!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/31/nsurnames31.xml
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Replies
That was a treat to read! Thanks
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