Patrick Hanks is a consultant in corpus-based lexicography and phraseology at the Berlin Academy of Sciences. He was formerly Chief Editor of Current English Dictionaries at Oxford University Press, and a research fellow in lexical computing at Brimingham University. He has been researching the geographical distribution, meaning, and origin of surnames for over 30 years.

Library Journal Best Reference Source, 2003
Booklist Editors' Choice, 2003

"Researchers of many kinds, particularly genealogists and family historians, will value Hanks' work for its breadth of surname coverage and scholarship--a combination which guarantees that it will soon become one of the benchmark publications of its kind. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

"The new Dictionary of American Family Names belongs in every library in America, particularly those who cater to genealogists." --Genealogy Bulletin

"Readers from experienced genealogists, to students assigned to find the meaning of their family name, to the just plain curious will find this a useful and fascinating resource. ...a definite purchase where this type of information is in demand."--Against the Grain