Friday, November 03, 2006

Surnames

Having an obscure surname is great in some ways. People remember it, and we're easy to find in the phone book. A distant relative once wrote to me to say that he found 47 entries of Peatman in all the UK phonebooks! (We are all descended from a Tom Patman, a basket weaver from Long Bennington in Lincolnshire, if you must know.)

Anyway, you can find out where your name is common and where it is unknown from a website now. Just click here and you can check out where your relatives live(d) in 1881 and 1998. Enjoy

4 comments:

Emma said...

Oh dear, this website is like a post code search...I could stay on it for ever...!!! Swarbricks originate from Lancashire and in 1881 there were none anywhere else in the country! By 1998 we were rather more spread out though. Fascinating.

Anonymous said...

You see I have the dilemma of trying to figure out from those maps (if I was that interested) whether my name is from Scotland or Ireland. I am led to believe that I am of Irish stock though.

Steve Tilley said...

Apart from a few brave souls who have found their way into south Wales us Tilleys have been resolutely tilling (doing all the work)in middle England since ever and have avoided crossing borders. So that's why I hate travelling. It's genetic.

Mike Peatman said...

Hi Steve. Good to have your contributions again. Keep tilling.