The American Surname Series seeks to aid beginning genealogists in the most basic aspect of building a family tree-- understanding the origins of one's surname. These reference works trace the evolution of a given surname from medieval times to the present, and lay out for the reader important bibliographic references as they start their search for ancestors. Each book explains the connection of the surname under study to many aspects of British and American history, and details important record sources for genealogical research.

Ryan P. Jordan holds a BA in History from UCLA (1998) and a Ph.D in History from Princeton University (2004). He has taught at the University of San Diego, UC San Diego, and National University in La Jolla, CA.