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| Goodbye Mr Chips and Butterworth as surnames die out in UK | Goodbye Mr Chips and Butterworth as surnames die out in UK |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| It's goodbye, Mr Chips, as the surname is one of tens of thousands to have disappeared over the past 100 years, research has shown. | It's goodbye, Mr Chips, as the surname is one of tens of thousands to have disappeared over the past 100 years, research has shown. |
| Other surnames such as Clegg, William, Cohen, Kershaw, Sutcliffe, Butterworth and Greenwood are in danger of dying out, according to Ancestry.co.uk. | Other surnames such as Clegg, William, Cohen, Kershaw, Sutcliffe, Butterworth and Greenwood are in danger of dying out, according to Ancestry.co.uk. |
| The family history website compared surnames from the 1901 censuses with those from modern records and found that many had disappeared, including Chips, Hatman, Rummage, Nithercott, Raynott, Temples, Southwark and Woodbead. | The family history website compared surnames from the 1901 censuses with those from modern records and found that many had disappeared, including Chips, Hatman, Rummage, Nithercott, Raynott, Temples, Southwark and Woodbead. |
| William was the 374th most common surname in 1901, but has fallen to 12,500th, Ancestry said. | William was the 374th most common surname in 1901, but has fallen to 12,500th, Ancestry said. |
| Many which have vanished were anglicised by their owners, including immigrants who changed their name to avoid complications with foreign spellings. | Many which have vanished were anglicised by their owners, including immigrants who changed their name to avoid complications with foreign spellings. |
| The first world war also played a part in wiping out some names as specific battalions suffered mass casualties during the conflict, with towns or villages losing a generation of young men, said the report. | The first world war also played a part in wiping out some names as specific battalions suffered mass casualties during the conflict, with towns or villages losing a generation of young men, said the report. |
| Miriam Silverman, Ancestry's UK content manager, said: "As a nation we've become more interested in where our names come from and what they mean. To many, a name is more than just a label – surnames are often steeped in history and identity, so nowadays a rare surname is something to be treasured rather than changed." | Miriam Silverman, Ancestry's UK content manager, said: "As a nation we've become more interested in where our names come from and what they mean. To many, a name is more than just a label – surnames are often steeped in history and identity, so nowadays a rare surname is something to be treasured rather than changed." |
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