Societies There is no single organisation that encompasses the many diverse aspects of surname studies, but the following are the main sources: Guild of One-Name Studies An international guild that supports those who are collecting the worldwide occurrences of a surname. Most of the surnames registered with the Guild tend to be medium or low frequency surnames. The Guild publishes the excellent ‘Journal of One-Name Studies’ which now includes articles of a broader appeal. Members also have access to an electronic forum. Society for Name Studies in Great Britain and Ireland The emphasis is on place-name study, though personal names are also included. SNSBI publishes the annual journal ‘Nomina’ and holds a stimulating annual conference. Most of the leading names in the academic study of British surnames belong. So if you want to mingle with the best… Membership details on the Society’s website. American Name Society The American Name Society’s journal is called ‘Names’, and does have articles that touch on aspects of British surnames. It also produces an online report each December which outlines ongoing research in the field of name study. The International Council of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS) “ICOS …is the international organization of all scholars who have a special interest in the study of names (place names, personal names, and other proper names).” ICOS publishes a journal, Onoma. A conference is held every three years, the last one being ICOS XXI, Uppsala, 2002. The latest printed proceedings are for ICOS XIX, Aberdeen, 1996. This is a three-volume set, ISBN 1902355008, available via the British Library. The University of Nottingham, Institute for Name Studies The newly named Institute has developed a Postgraduate Certificate in Name-Studies (Distance Learning) with the University of Sheffield, to commence January 2005. The Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure “The Group is best known for its pioneering work on English demographic history and on the history of family and household structures.”