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Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic! The Best Book going!!
Review: I don't normally write a review, but when I saw someone trashing what has to be the greatest name book ever written for writers, I just couldn't remain quiet. Ms. Kenyon did a FABULOUS JOB!!!! And she doesn't list just ten surnames--had the other person read the book, they would have found that she specfically goes into how surnames are developed in each region, then tells you how to use her guide to create your own authentic surname. I love the book. To quote from the English section: English surnames began as epitaphs or place, occupational and patronymic names (the meanings of these are given in a previous segment of the book). They can be traced back for centuries. By 1290 even peasants had surnames, but surnames didn't become hereditary (passed to all children) until after 1290. In fact, Ms. Kenyon clearly states "Surnames came late; these names were already in use as given names centuries earlier" which I took to mean that a list of surnam! ! es & given names would be redundant. Anyone who wants a book that is a FAR cut above baby name books NEEDS TO BUY THIS BOOK!! I've used it at every writer's talk/workshop I've ever taught.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensable!
Review: If you're a novelist then you need this book. Its the best character-naming book I ever found. The name lists are conveniently organized for easy access, into categories like Anglo-Saxon, Arabic, Native American, Welsh, etc, and each chapter gives you a general idea of last names too. There is even a chapter for Arthurian legend names! This is a thick book and probably all you'll ever need for giving your characters authentic names. Hopefully, this book will make it less likely for us to see a Russian character with the Swedish spelling of the name Sonja. There are so many names that sound the same in different cultures, but a simple difference in spelling can make all the difference for an authentic character. The name Valerio sounds so Italian, does't it? There are a lot of Native Americans that might argue with you about that. You might want a "very English" character to have the name Brit . . . but you're actually giving that character a common Norse name. A lot of Americans assume its British, but you'll have a hard time finding many British people named Brit. How do you spell and pronounce Nicole? The Greek way or the French way? I could go on and on with the value of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Such a Great Resource
Review: This book should sit atop your desk alongside your thesaurus & dictionary. It is wonderfully full of descriptive names!
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