This work surveys the origins, forms, and meanings of surnames found in England, classifying them by sources such as patronymics, matronymics, nicknames, locative and occupational types. It traces linguistic change and spelling variation across historical records, explains formation processes and social factors influencing name adoption, and gives numerous examples and indices to illustrate etymologies and regional patterns. The author discusses contested interpretations, corrects earlier errors, and reorganizes material for clarity, emphasizing comparative evidence from archival sources to support derivations and variant spellings.