Abstract
Social mobility has seen very little systematic study within economic history, because the data required to measure social mobility using conventional techniques is only found in high income societies, from the later nineteenth century onwards. Here it is shown that by using surnames we can measure social mobility rates in a variety of societies as far back as the medieval period in England, Barcelona, or Italy. These measures suggest four things. First mobility rates are much lower than conventionally measured. Second mobility rates show no sign of increase with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, mass education, and the welfare state. Third, even though social mobility is slow, at least in some societies it is complete over time, even in the preindustrial era. Finally, however, we can find some societies which are immobile. These societies are characterized by marital endogamy within social groups.
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