title: Analysing surnames as geographic data.
abstract: With most surname research undertaken within the fields of anthropology and population genetics, geographers have overlooked surnames as a credible data source. In addition to providing a review of recent developments in surname analysis, this paper highlights areas where geographers can make important contributions to advancing surname research, both in terms of its quality and also its applications. The review discusses the emerging applications for surname research, not least in the mining of online data, and ends by suggesting three future research themes to ensure the building momentum of surname research continues to grow across disciplines.
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K., james.cheshire@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheshire
mesh_terms: D000883:Anthropology; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005789:Genealogy and Heraldry; D005843:Geography; D063426:Human Migration; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D025341:Principal Component Analysis