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Guild of One-Name Studies

One-name studies, Genealogy

Is your surname here?

    • 2,377 members
    • 2,236 studies
    • 7,920 surnames

Guild Resources

On this page you’ll find many Guild resources that can help you with your genealogy and one-name study. Some of these resources are available for everyone; others are restricted to Guild members only. If you’re not currently a member, why not join us?

Available to Everyone

Surname Search

You can use the search box in the centre at the top of each page to search for all references to a surname that are in members’ studies or indexes.

Surnames Registered with the Guild

A list of all surnames for which a one-name study has been registered. Those with a grey background have a study profile with information about the study.

Guild Journal

The quarterly Journal is available for logged-in members to view, and non-members can purchase copies. You can also search for articles in previous Journals.

Global Marriages Index

An index containing worldwide marriages contributed by Guild members. It is designed to enable you to find Guild members that you may have connections with.

Inscriptions / Memorials Index

An index of names inscribed on schools’ honours boards, local war memorials, dedication plaques, society trophies etc.

Those Who Served

Stories from Guild members’ research, ranging from those of soldiers serving in the trenches to accounts relating to civilian life during times of conflict. The stories are available to be read by all and can be searched by name.

Modern British Surnames

Based on the research of the late Philip Dance, who created Modern British Surnames: a resource guide. You can learn about the distribution, incidence and statistical analysis of the surnames of Britain. The research also includes content on countries throughout the world in the Bibliography section.

Modern Newspaper Index

A searchable index containing material from newspapers from 1950, mainly from the United Kingdom, but there are some exceptions. Mostly obituaries, but also includes family announcements of various types.

Guild Registered Websites

An alphabetical listing of all the websites registered with the Guild. This includes both those that are part of the Members’ Websites Program (MWP) and sites that members have set up elsewhere.

Guild Facebook Page

You’ll find posts on upcoming events, news about software releases, special offers, and numerous other things. You don’t need to be a Guild member to access this page. Members have their own closed Facebook group, which is very active and any member can post to ask questions or seek advice.

Youtube Seminar Recordings

Many Guild seminar recordings are available on YouTube.

The Guild Shop

Buy books, software and other items in the Guild shop.

Available to Guild Members Only

There are a number of indexes being built up from members’ contributions that are available to other members to search. Members must be logged in to access the links below.

Guild Marriage Index 1837-1945 (England & Wales)

Unlike the index available to the general public, this searchable index is exclusively for Guild members. It provides a way for members to exchange information and to contact others with whom their one-name studies have links.

Scottish Index [link not accessible]

An index of Scottish births, marriages, and deaths contributed by members.

Worldwide Marriage Index

The previous two indexes cover England, Wales, and Scotland. The Worldwide Marriage Index is for marriages occurring anywhere in the world.

Guild Probate Index

Wills are an important source document for genealogists and one-name researchers, and typically contain several names. You can search the probate index for any names appearing in the indexed wills.

Guild BMD Vault

A repository of Birth, Marriage and Death data contributed by Guild members. The aim is to provide – for free – the information which would appear on an official birth, marriage, or death certificate, for instance the standard BMD Certificates issued (at a price) by the GRO for England and Wales.

The Guild Wiki

The Wiki covers a wide variety of topics. The link above will take you to its Table of Contents. All Wiki pages are available to logged-in members.

The Members’ Websites Program

Any member can set up a website for their study on the Guild server. There’s lots of help and advice available and you don’t need a lot of technical knowledge.

Promotional Codes & Discounts

Guild members are entitled to various discounts on genealogy related publications, software, and subscriptions.

Lookup Services

The Guild has a team of volunteers who undertake lookups for members with a registered study. This can give you access to books or CDs that you would not normally have available.

Guild Library & Datastore

A major re-cataloguing of the Library holdings is being carried out in order to build an online catalogue. Some material may also be available for postal loan.

Researching Surnames booklet

This colourful 50-page booklet contains lots of useful advice and information for anyone undertaking a one-name study. New members will receive one in their Welcome Pack, but existing members are not being left out.

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One-Name Studies

  • One-Name Studies
    • Surnames and variants
    • Registering a one-name study
    • Data collection
    • Analysis
    • Synthesis
    • Publicising your study
    • Responding to enquiries
    • Publication of results
    • Preserving your study
    • Data sources
    • Recording data
    • Storing data
    • Roles for One-Name Studies

Other Guild Websites

You may find our other Guild websites of interest:

  • Members’ Websites Program
  • Surname Cloud
  • Guild Members’ records on FamilySearch
  • Guild Marriage Locator

Contact Us

Email: Guild General Contact
Postal address:
c/o Secretary
Edendale, 113 Stomp Road
Burnham, Berkshire, SL1 7NN, U.K
Call us free on:
UK: 0800 011 2182
US & Canada: 1-800-647-4100
Australia: 1800 305 184

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© 2013–2023 Guild of One-Name Studies CIO. Registered Charity in England and Wales, No. 1197944.