THE origin of the 45,000 most common surnames in the country have been revealed today in the Oxford dictionary of Family Names.

The list is the culmination of a four-year study by University researchers in Bristol looking at the linguistic origins, history and geographical distribution of the most frequent family names in Britain and Ireland.

Professor Richard Coates who co-lead the team said: "There is widespread interest in family names and their history. Our research uses the most up-to-date evidence and techniques in order to create a more detailed and accurate resource than those currently available.

"We have paid particular attention, wherever possible, to linking family names to locations."

He added: "Some surnames have origins that are occupational - obvious examples are Smith and Baker; less obvious ones are Beadle, Rutter, and Baxter.

"There are also names where the origin describes the original bearer such as Brown, Short, or Thin - though Short may in fact be an ironic 'nickname' surname for a tall person."

The surname of star athlete Mo Farah and Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy were among 8,000 surnames to make the list of explanations for the first time.

The findings have been published in the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, which is available from today.