Does one surname dominate your tree?

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

Have you got a particular surname that dominates your tree? Perhaps it started with an unusual surname from a far off marriage that got you sidetracked or is one of your direct lines.

I have followed most lines down from my 6xgrt g/f to the early 1900's and the surname occurs 101 times in my tree of 676 names.

Most of the work is via PR's, and post 1841 events cross referenced through census, bmd index, burial records, wills, military records, medal cards, phone directory listings, residential directories and trade directories etc.

I suppose i should dig deep for some certs to prove one or two brides surnames (lots of "Mary Unknowns" :D:D). I just wonder how far is too far though? On freebmd using an "all types" search for the surname there are only just over 300 records transcribed.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Well, yes, it does depend how far sideways you have researched from your main trunk, as it were.

My own tree is dominated by Holdens, because that is where the bulk of my research has been done, although other names are catching up as I investigate side branches and I now have nearly as many Greens as Holdens.

I get very itchy if I can't find the woman's maiden name, and I am missing only one set of 3 x GGPs because of this.

Depends what sort of tree you want, though - I was perfectly happy with a Holden only tree for years.

OC

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

I'm stalled at two of my main lines at around 1800 or so (so many possible marriages i just can't say which ones are possibles never mind stronger contenders). Rural Lincolnshire and the metroplolis of Middlesex c1790-1800 are a pain in the bum.

Another line is Norfolk and they seem to be attached to a village for their whole lives apart from birth (oh how i love Norfolk for having several similarly named villages!!).

[poytheboy]

My tree is dominated by 3 surnames. Both my parents names 400 each, then my mothers mother family with almost 300 names, then lots of side branches ranging from about 25 to 85 in numbers for each surname. I have managed to find all of my 3 x gt gr parents (16 family names). My Father's Mothers family are my stumbling block however as I only have about 39 of that name. The main area's are Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. My stumbling block is Warwickshire via Ireland!

[Uncle John]

I've got hundreds of Lishmans (my paternal grandmother's maiden name). They are mostly side-shoots, either donated by distant cousins or followed through from the censuses.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

My own tree is dominated by Holdens

Really??? lolol

My tree is rather overwhelmed with Buck people, because they came from Dorset and we live only 1½ hrs drive from the "local" CRO!!!

I have also a twig that isn't related.....my little one name study of people called Horniman. I have 140 of them, plus female lines forward, but only about 10 or so are related to me!!

I also have a terrible aversion to women with no maiden name.....I would almost rather leave them and their husband off altogether lol (I don't, but it's sooooo untidy!)

[anniern]

I have not added all the names but I have made contact with someone researching the descendents of Richard Clifford a 17th Century stone mason in Stow on the Wold of whom I am one. She sends me monthly updates of all the twigs and must have several hundred Cliffords by now. From my own research I find a few names get more enquiries than others particularly if family members emigrated to the U.S.A.

[Christine in Herts]

When I first got actively started, I made a major leap almost immediately: my uncles had done quite a bit on my mother's maiden name, CHRISTMAS, and that enabled me to make a join, and a remote cousin kindly gave me a copy of "The Christmas Tree" - a tree, beautifully hand-drafted in the 1970s by John Reeves, of the (mainly Hampshire) Christmas family, going back to the C16, with some probables, unlinked, a bit earlier; I also got in touch with Henry Christmas of the GoONS, who kindly shared some of his work with me. Along with my own research, to complement (and, very occasionally correct) what has been shared with me, I have a lot of CHRISTMASes.

I also have a lot of CHAPMANs - from OH's maternal line - from Devon. Again, I had quite a decent set, but a breakthrough jumped me three generations back and several branches sideways.

I haven't actually counted the incidences of either of the surnames. Because most of my work is on Excel, I can't use the GedCom system to get that kind of info.

Christine

[samesizedfeet]

Mine is swamped with Linksons and Bartrams and my irish Dormers are quickly catching up.

Out of my main tree of 1400 the Linksons make up 307, the Bartrams 196 and I've yet to add in the 150+ Dormers

And I've still to add in most of the Canadian and Australian Linksons and the most recent births

[jenoco]

My paternal grandmother had the uncommon surname of Philbrook and I've kept a record of all Philbrooks I've found - they mostly seem to go back to a family of Philbricks in Great Coggeshall in the early 18th century. I have over 300 Philbricks/Philbrooks.

[vikki brace]

Titchmarsh - have a look on the GEDCOM, they are all mine.....:D

This family bred like rabbits and married eachother, But I can happily say I am not related to Alan Titchmarsh..... Well not yet anyway;)

[Pippa Doll]

My tree mostly has Waterfields in it as there are so many Waterfield researchers - is it in the DNA? The name that I am most interested in is Sudder as I know they come from man one and they are all mine. I think it must me like the quest for the holy grail as I will never know where he comes from but I live in hope!

[Cool Blue]

The name that I am most interested in is Sudder as I know they come from man one and they are all mine. I think it must me like the quest for the holy grail as I will never know where he comes from but I live in hope!

I have a similar situation in one line and I think he made his surname up.
I have another with a relatively common surname who crops up on his own out of nowhere
I have four families with extremly common names in their areas so beyond a certain date I shall never find out how they are related
But that's what makes it such fun, I suppose...

[Stella]

Clarksons seem to dominate my tree, mostly Yorkshire, but a few went to Canada.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Ooh Stella, are you related to Jeremy? (Clarkson)

My tree has large numbers of Barleys and Appleyards, both tended to have large families & were easy to trace

[Durham Lady]

My mothers maiden name of Goodfellow has 82 people and my maiden name of Northey has 79 listed. Next is my maternal grandmothers maiden name of Heal with 73 listed but one branch of that family changed there spelling to Hale when they moved from Somerset to Wales and I've 43 of them.

[Sue from Southend]

My Gt Grandfather Joseph Butcher married Ann Butcher, no relation, so I have two separate lines of Butchers. So although my tree is not as large as some the Butcher name takes up quite a large percentage!

[kathsgirl.48]

I have 687 individuals and 163 surnames, quite small compared to some others.

109 - Slade - my Dad's ancestors - going back to mid 1700's
32 - Davis - my Dad's mother's family
29 - Escott - my Dad's Gt Grandmother's family
19 - Board - my Dad's grandmother's family
18 - Tanner - some on my Dad's side and some on my Irish mother's side in the USA

67 - Pollard (Irish) - mainly ancestors - and some living - worldwide

33 - Brady (Irish) - mainly ancestors - with a few living in Eire.

1-10 Loads!

1 - UNKNOWN

Seems pathetic when you list them out like that!

[Grampa Jim]

Alchin, Allchin, Alchorne is mine. Literally hundreds of the blighters. Originally from Sussex, now all over the place. You could say Yesterday the Weald, Tomorrow the World.

[Stella]

Ooh Stella, are you related to Jeremy? (Clarkson)

My tree has large numbers of Barleys and Appleyards, both tended to have large families & were easy to trace

No Lynn:D Not as far as I know!