Surname Profiler

Thanks to Small Rituals for this excellent link to this surname profiler.

Based on UCL research it will show you where the highest incidences of your surname are found in Britain, based on the 1881 and 1998 census data.

If you follow the Geographical Location and Frequency and Ethnicity links you can access even more fascinating data.

For myself the site tells me my surname is staunchly English and based on the 1881 data (a time before mass geographical mobility) originates from eastern areas (which would tie in with my paternal line being traced back to East Anglia). It also tells me that these days a lot of my clan seem to favour residential bungalows...

Comparing the two maps (1881 on the left, 1998 on the right) you can see how the name has spread between the two dates. Most intriguing is the strong showing in 1998 in the Shetland Isles.

Given the ratings are based on occurence rates rather than straight number counts, presumably you'd only need a large family or two to move to the Isles to get this effect...

Maybe I should look them up?