If you haven’t seen it already this is an interesting site to play with on a wet Sunday afternoon. I can’t make up my mind as to its value but I suppose that, with sufficient feedback, it might become useful.

http://named.publicprofiler.org/

Hi Mike, yes an interesting site in the manner you suggest, but that site-name sounds familiar !. When I start researching a new family tree I use these two sites for a little background, the first appears to be a little more formal version of yours'
http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/

My second site is the most convincing that I've found at attempting to explain our surnames, some of these sites are just make-believe whereas this one does seem to include an appliance of science, altho still should be taken with a pinchin of salt at times.
http://www.surnamedb.com/

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Do you have roots in Swindon area ?.
http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/Map2.aspx?name=PINCHIN&year=1881&altyear=1998...
Must say I'm almost surprised your surname is in their database, I thought it might catch them out, altho you'll never be as common as this Jones boy !
http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/pinchin

Thanks Mike !

Well, they got me right in that, although I come from Newent, my grandfather and his family came from the Chedworth area of the Cotswolds.They also got my wife right as the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area. In suggesting where we met they settled on either the Cotswold area or Newcastle - this is quite right (Newcastle) but hardly rocket science in the circumstances. I guess it's the feedback which might make it useful.

Mike,
it's possible your grandparent's kin met my maternal grandfather's; the Longhope Wrights (and their Mitcheldean/Cinderford cousins) all originated in the Cowley/Brimpsfield area c1800, and before that Compton Abdale c1700, a mile or two from Chedworth.
Does this mean you might even have a hint of Roman in your DNA ?..
atb J