About
Select Surnames

Hi, this is Colin Shelley of selectsurnames.com.  I’m 79 years old and presently resident in the UK, an ex-consultant from around the world in a completely different line of work.  My age – well I am in Trump territory.  But we live longer lives these days and there is plenty of time still to be creative.  The brain lasts longer than the body.

My interest in genealogy dates back to the early 1980’s when I lost both of my parents and wanted to recapture some of my own family history. At that time family genealogy was very much a local affair full of enthusiasts and private researchers.  And it necessitated writing off for BMD records and for trips to family history centers to pore over original documents.

Of course the internet has changed this world.  The online resources for family genealogy have exploded in number since that time and they are available at a touch of a button.  I, and no doubt most of you, do my family research from the comfort of my own home.

selectsurnames.com

Much of what you will find here in selectsurnames.com was put together during what I may call the open source period of the internet.  That was when information was more readily accessible and not so influenced by algorithms for commercial considerations.

And Google Search is not what it was for me.  During Google’s purge of AI-developed websites in 2024, selectsurnames.com was downgraded and lost 90% of its readership.

Curiously Google’s own AI Overview came up with its own definition of selectsurnames in May 2025:

“In Rottingdean, Brighton, selecting surnames for a child typically involves choosing either the father’s surname or the mother’s surname, or a combination of both.  Individuals can also choose a completely new surname which often requires filling a formal name change petition.  The speciific process and options available may vary depending on the circumstances such as whether the parents are married or unmarried.”

Why Rottingdean, Brighton?  Because I live in Rottingdean (as Google AI found out) and am the author of selectsurnames.com.  AI’s reasoning will undoubtedly improve over time.

 

Click here for return to front page