Some heraldic and onomastic books found for free online

Books marked with this open book icon are available in full view somewhere; i.e., you can download them or view an entire book online, either on Google or on Archive.org. Other books are only partially viewable.

Books marked with this 14th-century A icon are available on archive.org; if Google Books does not work for you, look for this icon.

Books marked with this 14th-century H icon are on the "No Photocopy List", Appendix H of the Administrative Handbook.

Onomastics

Books on the "No Photocopy List" or on the Annotated Name Book List:

• Bahlow, Hans. Deutschlands geographische Namenwelt, 1965. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
  The Annotated Name Book List says: "...Many of his etymologies are questionable, and a few are wrong. Use with care. Recommended for the advanced user only."
• Bailey, David Roy Shackleton. Two Studies in Roman Nomenclature, 1976. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Bardsley, Charles Wareing. Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature, 1888. (Full book).
  The Annotated Name Book list says: "A good source for late period names. Recommended."
• Bardsley, Charles Wareing. Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901. (Full book)
  The full book is back online at Google Books! The Annotated Name Book List says: "Lots of names with dates, and variant spellings… However, while his etymologies were well done for the time, they are not necessarily correct. Recommended."
• Bardsley, Charles Wareing. English Surnames : Their Sources and Significations, 1875. (Full book).
  The Annotated Name Book list says: "Not as useful as Reaney & Wilson's Dictionary of English Surnames, but still useful. Basically an earlier version of Reaney's Origin. Recommended."
• Black, George F. Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, 1946. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Boehler, Maria. Die altenglischen Frauennamen (Old English Feminine Names), 1930. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
  The Annotated Name Book List says: "An excellent book on Anglo-Saxon women's names in German. Recommended."
• Díez Melcón, Gonzalo. Apellidos Castellano-Leoneses, 1957. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Ekwall, Eilert. Early London Personal Names, 1947. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
  The Annotated Name Book List says: "A survey of names used in London for about two centuries after the conquest. Most names contained in this book can be found elsewhere. It is extremely authoritative, and useful for people who want to learn more about British onomastics. Of limited use to most SCA heralds. Recommended for the expert only."
• Fransson, Gustav. Middle English Surnames of Occupation 1100-1350, 1935. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Fucilla, Joseph Guerin. Our Italian Surnames, 1949. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Johnston, James B. Place-Names of Scotland, 1903. (Full book)
• Morlet, Marie Therese. Étude d'anthroponymie picarde : les noms de personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siècles, 1967. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Morlet, Marie Therese. Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VI au XII Siècles, 1985. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Reaney, P.H. and R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991 edition. (Limited book preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups. Others are restricted.)
• Redin, Mats. Studies on uncompounded personal names in Old English, 1919. (Full book)
  The Annotated Name Book List says: "Variant forms and dates. Recommended."
• Searle, W. G. Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, 1897. (Full book)
• Smith, A. H. English Place-Name Elements, 1956. Volume I (Á-IW) and Volume II (JAFN-YTRI). (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Socin, Adolf. Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch, 1903. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Thuresson, Bertil. Middle English Occupational Terms, 1950. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
  The Annotated Name Book List says: "Most of the names found in this book can be found elsewhere. However, this book is a lot of fun for anyone interested in onomastics. Recommended."
• Woulfe, Patrick. Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames, 1923. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups. Others are restricted.)

Other onomastics books

Use these books with caution. Some may have various pitfalls, such as not using dates, having outdated research, including names that have been modernized, etc. Others may be good. I put them here because they are interesting in some way or I haven't had a chance to look at them yet, or they're good but not in one of the above lists. :-)

This is just a small sample of what you can find online. Looking for tons more books? Google has started adding so many potentially useful books to their system that it is impossible to add them all to this page. My own Google Books Library currently contains several hundred books, most of which contain onomastic information. You can search my library and find more books and useful name citations.

• Addy, Sidney Oldall. A Glossary of Words Used in the Neighbourhood of Sheffield Including a Selection of Local Names, 1888. (Full book.)
  There are place-names and personal names scattered throughout this book, with more than a few dated period forms. There are other similar books for other parts of England that might be worth checking out.
• Bahlow, Hans. Niederdeutsches Namenbuch (Low German Name Book), 1972. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Charnock, Richard Stephen. Patronymica Cornu-Britannica, Or, The Etymology of Cornish Surnames, 1870. (Full book)
  Most forms in here don't seem to be dated, but there are a couple of dates here and there. Maybe this will help someone.
• Dean, Lindley Richard. A Study of the Cognomina of Soldiers in the Roman Legions, 1916. (Full book.)
• Duignan, W. H. Notes on Staffordshire Place Names, 1902. (Full book)
• Duignan, W. H. Worcestershire Place Names, 1905. (Full book at Google, full book at archive.org)
  Includes dated historical forms — useful!
• Ekwall, Eilert. The Place-names of Lancashire, 1922. (Full book)
• Ekwall, Eilert. Variation in Surnames in Medieval London , 1945. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Förstemann, Ernst Wilhelm. Altdeutsches Namenbuch, 1900. (Full book.)
  In German.
• Géraud, Hercule. Paris sous Philippe-le-Bel (the 1292 Paris census, in French), 1837. (Full book)
• Gorton, John and George Newenham Wright. A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland, 1831. (Full book)
• Hemsworth, John David. The Registers of Monk Fryston, in the West Riding of Yorkshire: 1538-1678, 1896. (Full book)
  This looks like an excellent source for late period Yorkshire names. Includes births, christenings, deaths, etc. Some of the names are abbreviated.
• Johnston, James B. The Place Names of Stirlingshire, 1904. (Full book)
• Longstaff, John C. Notes on Wiltshire Names, 1911. (Full book)
• Matheson, Donald. The Place Names of Elginshire, 1905. (Full book)
• Moore, A. W. Manx Names: or, The surnames and place-names of the Isle of Man, 1903. (Full book)
  This includes quite a few dated forms. Could be very useful.
• Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Sir. A chronicle of London, from 1089 to 1483; written in the fifteenth century, and for the first time printed from MSS. in the British museum…, 1827. (Full book)
• Rygh, Oluf. Gamle personnavne i norske stedsnavne (Ancient Personal Names in Norwegian Place Names), 1901. (Full book.)
  In Norwegian.
• Skeat, W. W. The Place-names of Hertfordshire, 1904. (Full book)
• Thorpe, Benjamin. Diplomatarium Anglicum Ævi Saxonici: A Collection of English Charters, from the reign of King Æthelberht of Kent, A.D. DC.V to that of William the Conqueror, 1865. (Full book)
  Texts given in Old English, Latin, and in a more modern English translation.
• Weekley, Ernest. The Romance of Names, 1914. (Full book).
• Weekley, Ernest. Surnames, 1917. (Full book at Google, full book at archive.org).

Additionally, though I won't link to all of them here, a search in Google Books for "lay subsidy" or "feet of fines" or "close rolls" in "full view books" will bring up quite a few books containing medieval records and names that can be very useful. Other useful and interesting books can be found with this archive.org search for "place names", this search for "surnames", this for "heraldry", etc.

Armory

Be warned, many of these are very Victorian indeed!

• British Museum Dept. of Manuscripts and Walter de Gray Birch. Catalogue of Seals in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, 1900. (Full book.)
• Boutell, Charles. English Heraldry, 1867. (Full book.)
• Boutell, Charles. Heraldry, Historical and Popular, 1864. (Full book.)
• Brault, Gerard J. Early Blazon: Heraldic Terminology in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, 1972. (Snippet preview, however, sometimes you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some name lookups.)
• Foster, Joseph. Some Feudal Coats of Arms from Heraldic Rolls 1298-1418, 1902. (Full book at Google, full book at archive.org).
  The full book is the 1902 edition; it is listed on Appendix H under the later title, The Dictionary of Heraldry: Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees. Unfortunately, the emblazons in this edition are not in color.
• Foster, Joseph. Two Tudor books of arms; Harleian Mss. nos. 2169 & 6163, 1902. (Full book)
• Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. A Complete Guide to Heraldry, 1909. (Full book)
• Hope, William Henry St. John. Heraldry for Craftsmen & Designers, 1913. (Full book.)
• Longstaffe, William Hylton Dyer (ed.). Heraldic visitation of the northern counties in 1530, 1863. (Full book.)
  Includes many names as well as blazons.
• Lower, Mark Antony. The Curiosities of Heraldry, 1845. (Full book.)
• Nicolas, Nicholas Harris. Rolls of Arms of the Reigns of Henry III, and Edward III, 1829. (Full book.)
• Norcliffe, Charles Best (ed.). The Visitations of Yorkshire in the Years 1563 and 1564, 1881. (Full book.)
  Includes many names as well as blazons.
• Papworth, John W. An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland (Papworth's Ordinary), 1874. (Full book at Google, full book at archive.org)
• Parker, James. A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, 1894. (Full book.)
  Parker is available elsewhere in website form, but if you want it in a PDF to print your own copy, here 'tis.
• Woodward, John. A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign, 1896. Volume I and Volume II. (Full book.)
• Wright, Thomas. The Roll of Arms, of the Princes, Barons, and Knights who Attended King Edward I to the Siege of Caerlaverock, in 1300, 1864. (Full book.)
  Contains names and emblazons (redrawings). The Roll is in French and in English translation.

Other interesting stuff

• Bosworth, Joseph. A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1838. (Full book at Google, full book at archive.org.) Newer version of Bosworth/Toller can be found in .tiff, .png, and HTML at the Germanic Lexicon Project, and also in searchable HTML form at http://dontgohere.nu/oe/as-bt/.)
• Hall, J. R. Clark. A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 1894 edition. (Full book. You may also find the 1916 version in .tiff, .png and partial HTML format at the Germanic Lexicon Project.)
• Hampson, Robert Thomas. Medii ævi Kalendarium or Dates, Charters, and Customs of the Middle Ages, 1841. Volume I and Volume II. (Full book)
• Martin, Charles Trice. The Record Interpreter, 1892. (Full book)
  Abbreviations and names found in period manuscripts.
• Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Sir. Privy purse expenses of Elizabeth of York : wardrobe accounts of Edward the Fourth : with a memoir of Elizabeth of York, and notes, 1830. (Full book)
• Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Sir. The privy purse expenses of King Henry the Eighth, from November 1529, to December 1532 : with introductory remarks and illustrative notes, 1827. (Full book)
• Roberts, Jane, Christian Kay, Lynne Grundy. A Thesaurus of Old English: In Two Volumes, 2000. (Limited preview)
• Stratmann, Francis Henry and Henry Bradley. A Middle-English Dictionary, 1891. (Full book, but the newer Middle English Dictionary at the University of Michigan is a better resource.)
• Wright, Andrew and Charles Trice Martin. Court-hand Restored: Or, The Student's Assistant in Reading Old Deeds, Charters, Records, Etc., 1879. (Full book at Google, full book at archive.org)
• Zoëga, Geir T. A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, 2004. (Partial book preview, however you can "Search in this book" and get enough info to do some lookups. The full dictionary may be found in .tiff and .png formats at the Germanic Lexicon Project, and a searchable version at the Northvegr Foundation.)