1. Who do we think we Are?

2. Who do you think you are? What’s in your family name/history? Where else in the country/world is your name popular? Which famous people share your name? Do you have any non-British descent?

3. What is this project all about? Every student at this college is an important part of the Aquinas ‘family tree’ EVERY student has their own story wrapped up in their name and/or direct family history You may know lots about your own history already (through chats with grandparents for instance) or you may just want to research where your name comes from; is it linked to a particular place/job/part of the world? We also want to give you the tools to look into your own family names/histories in more detail. You might even discover stories which may be about success, oppression, bravery or injustice

4. What are we aiming for? As a community we want to create an Aquinas ‘family’ tree. With your consent (which is essential for any personal data collection) we would like YOU to explore the things about your name and/or family history that matter to you!! We are creating a website which will provide links to your name and stories. This will provide links to an A-Z of names where other students, parents, guardians (and anyone else interested) will be able to explore the rich mix that is this college ‘Everyone has an equally valid story to celebrate’

5. Activity: The Name Game 1. What is the most common surname in the UK? 2. In the year 1998 what was the most common first name for girls? 3. In the year 1998 what was the most common first name for boys? 4. What is the most popular name worldwide? 5. Which first names are the most common in top paying jobs? (CEOs, Banking, Finance)

6. Answers 1.Smith & Jones. Although Singh, Patel and Zhang are becoming increasingly common 2. Chloe followed by Emily then Megan were the most popular girl names in 1998 3. Jack followed by Tom and James were the most popular boy names in 1998 4. Mohammed is the most popular name worldwide 5. Graham, Kenneth, Anne, Susan, Charles, Patrick, Stuart, Colin, Nigel, Philip, Nigel, William, George, Alan, Kevin, Peter – note there are only 2 female names!!

7. How might we interpret this data? What does it tell us about class and power?

8. Did you know?... Surnames were originally introduced into England by the Normans in 1066 Initially, surnames were fluid and changed from generation to generation, or even as a person changed his job - "John Blacksmith" may have become "John Farrier" But by 1400, surnames in England and lowland Scotland had mostly settled down and become hereditary. What that means is that traditional English and lowland Scottish surnames predominantly reflect society as it was in the mid to late Middle Ages. Common surnames such as Smith, Wright, Cook, Taylor and Turner are all based on a person's trade or occupation, and these would have been common in that era. other occupational names include Knight, Thatcher, Squire and Fletcher. Also, names are often tied up with location. The surname ‘newton’ relates to a ‘new town’ for example

9. How will you do it?... Next week you will be given the whole T1 period to use computers in order to do your research using the find my past website You could, in the meantime, scan some old photographs or talk to relatives. Richard’s assembly will show you the kind of things you could do. You will then be able to submit your research through MyAquinas at the end of next week’s T1 We hope to get the Aquinas ‘family’ tree up and running after study leave For this project to be truly successful we need to draw on your enthusiasm and interests

10. What do we think we might discover? Stories of migration around the world Tales of injustice and oppression Heroes and heroines with your name That your name might be very common or very rare, but the crucial thing is that every name has a story

11. Thank you & Good luck!