World Surname Profiler

[Muggins in Sussex]

No idea how accurate this is, but it passes the time for a few minutes.

World Names Profiler

I was quite surprised to see that Dowsett is apparently a much more frequently occuring surname in Australia than it is in the UK

[Northern Light]

Thanks Joan, Its interesting..

[Kit]

It is interesting but it's scary to see that both my maiden and married names have the highest proportion in Ireland.

[Kit]

Strange I can't get any non-westernised countries to come up. What's the most common name in China or India?

[Muggins in Sussex]

Patel in India?

Lee in China?

[Northern Light]

Surprised me that my surname is most commom in USA.

[Kit]

Patel in India?

Lee in China?

No Lee didn't didn't rate a mention for China. I also tried Tran, Wong, Ng, Nguyen. I know they aren't all Chinese as such but they are more so than Smith etc.

[Peppie]

No Lee didn't didn't rate a mention for China. I also tried Tran, Wong, Ng, Nguyen. I know they aren't all Chinese as such but they are more so than Smith etc.

So far they only have 26 countries on their database and it doesn't include China, have a look at their FAQs

[Little Nell]

I think this just gives a rough guide. It lights up all of Australia for one of my surnames, and mostly Australia is desert. It isn't refined enough to show which towns in Australia.

[Little Nell]

and the areas in Uk map don't correspond with what I've found in censuses.

[Muggins in Sussex]

Yes, Nell - odd isn't it? - the site doesn't seem to say what years the data covers, so I guess it is virtually useless! Although I think it was intended as a genealogy aid as it was recently submitted by the owners (I think) to Cyndi's List

[Peppie]

Try the FAQ

About the maps and data tables

What data do you use to create the name maps?

All our names and location data are derived from publicly available telephone directories or national electoral registers, sourced for the period 2000-2005.

How do you create the scores used for the maps and the data tables?

We always use the relative frequency of a name compared to the overall population in an area. This is expressed as a 'Frequency Per Million' people living in an area, and is abbreviated on the website as FPM.

World Names Profiler

[Muggins in Sussex]

Oops - missed that!

Thanks Peppie

[Olde Crone Holden]

Oh, blummin' percentages again! Misleading at best.

If you have a very unusual surname like Wigglebottom, there may be 200 of them in London, but they won't show up on this site because 200 is only a tiny fraction of one percent.

There may be one Wigglebum on the Isle of Rocks, but as the total population of the Isle of Rocks is only 5, then it will show a 20% distribution.

OC

[Kit]

So far they only have 26 countries on their database and it doesn't include China, have a look at their FAQs

Thanks I didn't read the FAQs. :o

OC I tried an uncommon name I believed to be predominately French but there are about 10 in Australia. It gave me a percentage of 0.2 for Aust. So there is a chance for Wigglebottom. ;)

[samesizedfeet]

Well I've done my name - LINKSON - with the advantage of knowing where 99% of them live

It's showing none in Canada where the 2nd greatest concentration is. And also none in Australia.

It's peculiarly showing one in Spain - mo idea who that is but would be very interested to find out.

In the UK, were apparently 1.62 people in every million (!!) are called Linkson it reckons the most common forenames are Bobby, Lisa, Carl, Gavin and Janet but there's only one of each of them.

There are 3 Stevens and Williams. And an incredible 4 James' and Johns who it doesn't pick up at all.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

I was interested to see that the largest number of Stowells is in New Zealand. But was more interested that Ancestry had a book out last year on the name. Sadly no longer in stock at Amazon :(

[Mary from Italy]

I suspect those Ancestry books are largely useless.

[jenoco]

I was interested to see that the largest number of Stowells is in New Zealand. But was more interested that Ancestry had a book out last year on the name. Sadly no longer in stock at Amazon :(

Lynn,
The Stowells in New Zealand are distantly related to me. I can't remember the details at the moment, but a daughter or grand daughter of one of the brothers who emigrated in the mid 1800s wrote a book about her father/grandfather. This branch originated in Essex. The brothers who emigrated were the sons of Jeremiah and Rebecca (Philbrook) Stowell. Let me know if you have a link!

[Olde Crone Holden]

Mary

A friend bought one of those books from Ancestry - cost £45 I think. He has a rare surname and was very excited.


He showed it to me. It was basically a telephone directory type listing of people with the same and similar surnames, with a few half-hearted suggestions as to the origin of the name. (Completely wrong in his case at least, the surname is an anglicising of a French surname).

Frankly, it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

OC