Author: Jo Laver

  • The image, history and reality of Scotland’s famous clans

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    We thank our friends at Scotland Magazine for providing this fascinating article about the image, history and reality of Scotland’s famous clans. Scotland Magazine is a bi-monthly publication for all who love Scottish culture, travel and history. As such, they are experts in their field and we are grateful to them for this contribution. Scotland’s…

  • Free trial copy of Scotland Magazine!

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    Our friends at Scotland Magazine are offering a free trial copy for all Hall of Names customers. This great bi-monthly publication is for all who those who love Scottish culture, travel and history. What is in the magazine?   There’s something new and interesting to read about Scotland in every issue! You’ll enjoy exploring this beautiful country steeped in…

  • Competition to win tickets to ‘Canterbury Tales’


    It’s Facebook competition time again, and this time the prize is a family ticket to ‘Canterbury Tales’. This is a superb visitor attraction in the town of Canterbury, Kent. Plus, with the Easter holidays just around the corner, it is a great day our for the family! What’s included in the prize? Our friends at…

  • Ten things you might not know about Ireland


    Do you want to discover ten things you might not know about Ireland? With more than 22,000 Irish name histories on our database, we are often contacted by Irish people who want to know more about their surname history. Plus, others are trying to trace Irish family roots. Whatever your interest in the ’emerald isle’,…

  • St Patrick’s Day


    Every year on March 17th, St Patrick’s Day is celebrated, not just in Ireland but worldwide. But what are the origins of St Patrick’s Day and how is it celebrated? Of all the saints’ days, St Patrick’s Day seems to be the one that is most popularly supported, even by those that are not Irish.…

  • Our competition winner


    Following our recent Facebook competition, we are thrilled to announce our competition winner! To celebrate International Women’s Day, we offered the amazing prize of a beautiful wine set. We asked our Facebook followers to tell us about an inspirational woman in their loves. We had some fantastic entries, and many were real tear-jerkers. However, we had…

  • Double-barrelled surnames: A changing tradition


    Where did double-barrelled surnames originate? They are more popular than ever, and customers often ask us if we have them on our Hall of Names database. Sadly, we don’t and in this article we explain why. We look at the early origins of the tradition, and how it was used as a social construct signifying…

  • Competition to win a coat of arms wine set!

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    It is International Women’s Day! To celebrate, we have just launched a fantastic Facebook competition to win a coat of arms wine set! This beautiful special occasion gift is worth £63.99 and is ideal for weddings and anniversaries. Plus it’s a great idea for a mother’s day gift or birthday surprise.   What is included…

  • The legendary Spike Milligan


    The legendary British-Irish comedian Spike Milligan died on  February 27th, 2002. Born to an English mother in April 1918, ‘Terence Alan Milligan’ father was born and raised in India, the son of an Irish captain serving in the British-Indian army. Disliking his first name, Milligan later changed it to ‘Spike’. Remembered for his extraordinarily witty one-liners,…

  • Who was St David?


    Who was St David? Many people have heard of St David’s Day: it is celebrated on March 1st every year, to mark his death on this day in 589.  It is when David, as the patron saint of Wales is honoured. To celebrate, we have put together some top facts about this special day in…

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