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Lyons and Cowards are Norman French names. Williams is a Welsh name, dating from the time of the Norman conquest, when the conquerors deplored the lack of surnames of the Welsh and the impossibility of their being able to pronounce Welsh names generally. They therefore gave them forms of common English Christian names (with the odd Welsh one thrown in for good measure): Williams, Davies, Thomas, Jones, Evans, etc., etc. That is why there is a comparatively small name pool in Wales.