The same last names being used in historical romance novels? I don't read too many contemporaries so i can't compare them but i do notice that the last name McKendrick pops up alot in the historical westerns that i read. These are not series books either, totally different authors with stand alone titles. Must be a popular last name in the west?  I guess first names could apply here too.

Authors use the same first names over and over again as well. I can't tell you how many books I've read where the heroe's name was Sebastian, Chase, Cole or Derrick.  Lots of Gabriel's too.  Can't we ever have a romance hero named Bob Smith? 

Well, it seems to me that many names get recycled period. When I was young there was a boom on the name Michelle and Michael. So maybe this is also happened throughout time. Bob Smith might have been a Robert. If I remember correctly there have been books I have read with a Robert. As far as Smith goes in historicals it might have been Smyth or something and it was probably a common name....meaning for common folks not the titled people generally mentioned in many regency historicals.

I remember back in the late 70's, early 80's Ravenscar and Ravenscroft being around a bit- mostly in the more Gothic stuff.