About Us

Hall of Names researchers have been delving into the history of surnames since 1971, and we established Hall of Names here in the UK in 2002. We are an independent business, and we operate from our head office in West Somerset’s beautiful Quantock Hills, which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – lucky us!

Our database now contains over a million surnames with their earliest-known coats of arms, as well as a vast collection of Scottish Clan and Irish surname histories, as well as an extensive collection from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and beyond.

We began by travelling the UK to attend events such as shows and country fairs, printing our scrolls to order for visitors. It quickly became obvious just how much interest there is in family research – our customers always have stories to tell! It’s always interesting to see if there are people sharing the surname who were convicts to Australia, or even aboard the Titanic.

Over the years, the business has developed apace. We now offer an extensive online collection of personalised gifts to suit all occasions, and we have retailers at many of the UK’s leading historic attractions. (Click here to view list of retailers). We listen to our customers and are always keen to explore new ideas to keep our ranges fresh and as individual as our clientele.

We have established ourselves as leaders in the field of surname histories, and our reputation for excellent quality and service is second to none. We regularly work with industry experts to provide blogs, competitions and offers, so don’t forget to regularly check the website and facebook or sign up to receive our online newsletters.

Meet The Team

Wendy Spencer

Company director

I am responsible for ensuring that we remain market leaders in our sector. My expertise lies in developing strategies and working closely with our retailers that sell our products all over the UK. I am also responsible for sourcing new products that I hope our customers will love!

The diversity of my role makes every day completely different. I really enjoy making our customers happy and I am very proud to have seen the business grow so much since it was set up.
Favourite part of the job

Jo Laver

Sales and marketing manager

Jo spent many years working in regional press and magazines before joining our team in 2010. She helps us with all aspects of marketing and PR, including writing our brochures, organising our promotions in magazines across the UK and compiling news for our ever-growing database of stockists and customers. She has also created a partnership to offer special rates for NHS staff.

Its diversity. One day I might be writing an article about heraldry, the next I am helping to promote Hall of Names in a top-selling magazine – there is always something new on the horizon.”
Favourite part of the job