This strategy provides genealogists with a starting point for research in the birth country, when that information cannot be discovered through sources recorded in the new country of settlement. Discover the meaning and history behind your last name ancestry. While both mac giolla phadraig and o maol phadraig have. Odd thing is, that i know all of my surename carriers in germany by person. The german surname lantz is thought to have several origins. We have thousands of names from cultures around the world. Basic portuguese paleography the genealogical department of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Hertfordshire, also recorded in the domesday book as hetfelle. Campbell is a scottish or irish surnamederived from the gaelic roots cam crooked and beul mouththat originated as a nickname meaning crooked mouth or wry mouthed.
Mori is the surname of 1 in every 38 of the population. It comes from a variant of the word boak or balk, of the same meaning. Researching surname origins, and the effort required to trace back even the most common surname, is quite a daunting task. Surname finder provides easy access to free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. Either the surname or the given name may come first in different contexts. The surname book was first found in berwickshire an ancient county of scotland, presently part of the scottish borders council area, located in the eastern part of the borders region of scotland, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the norman conquest in 1066. Welcome to surname finder, online since 1998, providing easy access to free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. General guide to characteristics of surnames and sources for further reading, by country, with emphasis on europe and north america. Go to varieties and synonymes of surnames and christian names in ireland. World map of most common surnames by country kidsnews. Nottinghamshire, found as haytfeld in the hundred rolls of. This change occurred at different periods in different regions. This search engine displays how last names are distributed around italy. Arthur, william 1857 an etymological dictionary of family and christian names.
The map also highlights the origins of different names, providing insights into the histories and cultures of different societies. The roots of the book surname reach back to the language of the viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of scotland in the medieval era. Those surnames can be of irish, viking, norman, english, welsh, and scots origin. Unlike most surname mapping sites it uses sub countystate units to create highly detailed distributions. Jenkins is a surname that originated in cornwall, but came to be popular in southern wales. The map family name was found in the usa, and the uk between 1840 and. Name meanings and last name origins genealogy today. The country family name was found in the usa, the uk, canada, and scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most common name in australia is smith, and the same is true in the us, canada, uk and new zealand. List of most common surnames in oceania australia, new zealand list of most common surnames in south america. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to develop often leading to astonishing variants of the original. A selected list of references about personal names. Discover the distribution of italian last names with an interactive map. Sometimes it is possible to guess where a surname originated through surname distribution maps.
In french canada until the 19th century, several families adopted surnames that followed the family name in order to distinguish the various branches of a large family. Massachusetts had the highest population of country families in 1840. Of numeric importance include the top surnames from mathesons birth index study of the 1890 census, with the number of 1890 births cited following the name in parentheses. Surname origins now offers surname distribution maps based on the civil registration birth index. Probably from the place written hede or hide in doomsday book, now hithe, in kent, england, where the earliest traces of the head family are found. Exploring geogenealogy using internet surname search histories. Users submit their surname data which are then mapped for a modest fee. The named map tool shows where people with a given surname. There is also important information about the meaning of your last name, its most popular first names and the genealogy of your last name. The most country families were found in the usa in 1880. Graphically displays your italian surname request on a map of italy.
Those surnames derived from place names were initially adopted by families that held land. Tribes of ireland ireland at the birth of your surname. In 1840 there were 3 country families living in massachusetts. Because genealogy is tied to history, collections of names and coat of arms resources for surnames on the internet are being handed down electronically when people search for a surname. However, it is possible to use both the paternal and maternal name. Sometimes it is possible to guess where an immigrant originated through surname distribution maps. Find out the meaning and history behind your last name. It is thought to possibly be a variant habitational surname adopted by people from settlements called lanz, a shortened habitational name derived from lanzo or lando, which was originally a short form of various compound names using the element land or territory, or possibly derived as a. To a degree it makes sense to find the area by ones surname, but another way is to associate your surname with a name of a townvillage with a slight lettering variation as for me.
Singular forms of the name were still found in normandy as late as 1198. Surname origins have been the subject of much folk etymology. Now, lets take a brief tour well take a much longer tour in our. These maps graphically display locations where surnames occurred at different periods in time.
However, later such adoptions of surnames derived from place names occurred when people moved from one place to another. It is thought to possibly be a variant habitational surname adopted by people from settlements called lanz, a shortened habitational name derived from lanzo or lando, which was originally a short form of various compound names using the element land or territory, or possibly derived as a warriors name from. Genis users have created 200 million profiles with 12 million surnames. Although found in every part of britain, the form dick is especially common in scotland, and it was from there, in the 17th century, that the surname was taken to northern ireland. This very intriguing and longestablished surname is of anglosaxon origin, and is a dialectal variant of the locational name hatfield, from various places so called in, for example, essex, recorded in the domesday book of 1086 as hadfelda. This website links to the majority of the surname data on the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if known, and many other related genealogy resources. It is most common in west lothian, where it is the 78th most common surname with 1,742 bearers. Surname web is a genfinder dedicated to finding family long lost relatives.
On each surname specific finder page, you can search a variety of online databases all preprogrammed with your surname. Surname connections to the irish counties below is a list of surnames which have either historic or numeric importance to the counties of ireland. Surname distribution maps genealogy familysearch wiki. Enter your last name in the search box above to find out more information about your family name, including a description with the surname s origin and history, profiles, documents, projects and discussions. The book provides an extensive list of surname variations so that if those researching their ancestors draw a blank from the records under a principal name then they have the option of trying under its known spelling variations as identified in this book. John, borrowed from french jehan, followed by kinken meaning little, gave jenkin or. The meaning is obscure but it is probably connected with the latin vicuna, originally used to describe wool, but later a special type of wool. Map your english surname surname origins will produce highly detailed surname distribution maps of england and wales. Here you will find the distribution of your surname sorted by countries. If turlough was in the habit of reading maps back at that time, he might look at his kingdoms through the lens of this map showing the major tribes of ireland at his time. The book surname comes from someone having lived in a place noted for the presence of a ridge that formed a boundary between two distinct areas. Geneanet will not sell data and files uploaded and shared by its members. This information can be useful for studying the current or historic distribution of surnames, and occasionally their origin.
Browse surnames from a to z and find out a little bit of your own family history. For example, if ana laura melachenko and emanuel dario guerrero had a daughter named adabel anahi, her full name could be adabel anahi guerrero melachenko. Outside of ulster, irish occurrences of the name usually derive from the surname mac cathmhaoil, from which also descend the surnames maccawill, mccaul, maccall, and caulfield. Mapping the distribution of a surname at different points in time will often reveal the origin of the family name and will thus provide a narrower focus for further research and for recruitment efforts. Introduction there are approximately 5000 surnames associated with medieval ireland. Oct 30, 2015 a world map of your surname s prevalence. Surnames and irish counties irelands history in maps. Surname maps are generally created using information from censuses, electoral. W5 1971 dutch lineage names in origin, history, and meaning.
Surnames only arose when families decided they were going to stick to a pseudo surname. The gens search engine displays how last names are distributed around italy, a visual map of the distribution of people in italy with your last name. Unlike other services we use census level units rather than county based maps. Search engine displays the percentage of population living in those regions. Surname maps are maps which display and indicate the highest concentration of residents with a particular surname, or set of surnames. First names by country of origin last names by origin. Acuna surname possible spelling variant of vicuna this is one of the earliest spanish surnames recorded in the new world, and specifically mexico. Surnames of scandinavian origin, for example, are still most common east of the. The name jenkin originally meant little john or son of john. Discover your family history in millions of family trees and more than a billion birth, marriage, death, census, and military records. Head surname meaning, origin, etymology and distribution. Enter your last name to learn its meaning and origin.
A list of references about personal names or surnames at the local history and genealogy reading room at the library of congress. Youll get hints when we find information about your. Local derived from the manor of pennington, in lancashire, england, anciently penitone, written in the doomsday book, pennegetum. A database of surname origins produced by name origin research limited. This was about 60% of all the recorded countrys in the usa. This name was introduced into england at the time of the norman conquest of 1066. A simple new map lets you search how common your surname is in different parts of the uk and could even reveal where your family originates from. The ancient and distinguished surname wiggins indicates son of wigand, a personal name derived from the breton name wiucon, meaning high and noble. From the anglosaxon hithe, a harbor, a shelter for boats. If you know the surname of a spouse, and if they married before emigrating a distribution of both surnames can often provide a valuable clue as to the area of origin. Dec, 2019 australia and new zealand have the wellknown name smith as their most common surnames. He became a priest, worked in limerick, and spent 25 years collecting names, communicating with native irish speakers and studying the different forms of gaelic to compile the irish names and surnames dictionary. Fiji is another place with an indian surname at number one. Surname distribution maps provide a way to learn what parts of italy your surname is most frequently found.
Surnames only arose when families decided they were going to stick to a pseudosurname. A free resource to help people discover more about their familys surname. The surname fitzpatrick is the known translation of at least two different surnames. For example, surnames were largely adopted between the 11th and 16th centuries in england, between the 16th and 19th centuries in wales and between the 11th and 19th centuries in scotland. They do accept user input for surnames not currently covered. Surname origins detailed surname maps for the uk, scotland, ireland, and the united states. As a surname, dick is the 1,5th most common name in great britain with 6,545 bearers. Surname origins maps historic surname distributions for england and wales, scotland, ireland and the united states. The surname wiggins was first found in the county of cambridgeshire, where one named wighen was listed in the domesday book in 1086. Youre bound to find the origin of your last name here. Some of these surnames have changed considerably since they first appeared, with essentially all gaelicirish. The latter place, recorded variously as wales and walis in the domesday book of 1086, is so called from the olde english walas, the welsh, and is identical in origin with wales, the country.
A world map of your surnames prevalence boing boing. By focusing on births that occur prior to the full impact of the industrial revolution, the birth index map provides an excellent snapshot of your surnames early distribution. The typographic map above click for interactive version is a collaboration. Oct 06, 20 in last weeks newsletter we introduced turlough oconnor high king of ireland up to 1156. If you have oral history that might provide location clues we can attempt to identify and map these locations using place name data bases. Enter your last name in the search box above to find out more information about your family name, including a description with the surnames origin and history, profiles, documents, projects and discussions. This strategy provides genealogists with a starting point for research in the birth country, when that information cannot be discovered through sources. Such a surname was preceded by the word dit socalled, lit. Topographical surnames can be derived from features of a landscape hill, ford or from place names london, aston, eaton, molyneux. Want to know the worldwide geographical distribution of your surname. This may indicate a place of origin for your ancestor. Yet many genealogists have the expectation that the research has already been completed, while others believe there must be a simple formula.
Australia and new zealand have the wellknown name smith as their most common surnames. Start a free family tree online and well do the searching for you. The kin portion is of dutch origin kijn, which then gained a certain popularity in england. I believe that the very real problem of administering a moving and population, enforcing the brehon laws and simply keeping tabs on the increasingly complex genealogies and rights of inheritance caused ireland to be possibly the first country in europe to introduce the surname. Currently, it is ranked as the 60th most common surname in ireland with an estimated 12,700 individuals bearing the name. Down survey of ireland maps based on a land survey taken in the years 1656 1658. The pennington surname in historical dictionaries an etymological dictionary of family and christian names 1857 origin.
Concerns names of modern families of turkish origin and. A fascinating new map has plotted out the most common surnames in every country in the world. Surname mapping is a useful technique for a surname dna project. This was about 60% of all the recorded country s in the usa. Another early bearer of the name was radulfus filius wigein, who was living in leicestershire in 1163. Our maps are created using the smallest area units possible. You can see how map families moved over time by selecting different census years. Choose a category baby names top 100 names for boys top 100 names for girls search for names by trait browse first names by origin browse all names last names browse last names by origin browse all last names baby. In argentina, normally only one family name, the fathers paternal family name, is used and registered, as in englishspeaking countries. A simple new map lets you search how common your surname is in different.