Patrick Hanks (1940-2024)

On February 1, 2024, the world bid farewell to Patrick Hanks, a distinguished English Lexicographer, Corpus Linguist, and Onomastician who failed to recover from long COVID. His passing marks a profound loss for the international field of name research, where he played a pivotal role as a leading figure.

Patrick Hanks, renowned for his academic contributions, served as a computer scientist at Masaryk University in Brno, the Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics at Charles University in Prague, and notably at the Bristol Centre for Linguistics at the University of the West of England. His research focused on the origin, history, and geographical distribution of family names in the United Kingdom.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Patrick Hanks was an esteemed editor of significant name dictionaries, and from 1990 to 2000, he held the position of Chief Editor of English dictionaries at the Oxford University Press (OUP). One of his magnum opuses was the Dictionary of American Family Names (DAFN), first published in a three-volume edition in 2003. In 2022, a substantially revised and expanded version of this monumental work was presented, now comprising five volumes, a collaborative effort with Simon Lenarčič and contributions from Peter McClure.

The Dictionary of American Family Names stands as the most extensive name book in the world, offering practical overviews of various naming systems. This indispensable work deserves a place in every major library. 

Patrick Hanks's legacy is intricately intertwined with this significant namebook, ensuring that his name will endure through the ages. Fond memories of his pleasant and stimulating personality, transcending the professional realm, resonate with all those fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him. In honoring Patrick Hanks, we recognize not only a scholar of great distinction but a person whose impact extended far beyond the academic sphere.