How Common Is Your Surname?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Eric

Or, as those Roman dudes used to say: Pater semper incertus est." Feel free to correct my Latin.

As if we would!!

[Gordon Booth]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

As if we would!!

I did, just for chance he'd had a subtle play around with the words.
Incertus doesn't mean what I thought it did.
In fact I'd have translated it totally differently, but still applicable!

[dotti34]

Eric, interesting re the Slater name. My husband's maternal family were Slaters (mainly from Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors and Oswaldtwistle). Good stock!

By the way, one of his great-uncles (Harold Slater), born 1894, emigrated to Canada.

[Bob Dobson]

I think this is a very interesting subject. The thread would be improved if posters would say which particular name they have been looking for
Gordon - a booth is a township |(?) - eg Crawshawbooth.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Well, mine is obvious as I do not use a nickname.....but I also looked for Buckley,Ashton. Blenkiron, Duxbury, and other family names.
I spent a good couple of hours because the site is linked to other genealogy sites.......which are interesting.

[Shurm]

Interesting site thanks only 500 and odd with my name !!

[Rowlf]

I enjoyed looking up my surname. Only 935 world wide....then I looked up my maiden name ha ha there were well over 4 million Smiths.. My dad always said it wasn't common it was popular though.

[dotti34]

Margaret, I think I did once mention that Pilkington came into my husband’s family some years ago (through marriage), well so does Duxbury. Elizabeth Ann married James Henry Aspinall and they were great-grandparents of my other half.

Surnames are very interesting but I didn't realise how many surnames come into one family until I started to do family research. The further you go back and the more there are of course.

A very interesting topic. One name in my family background (Scott) apparently has 778,347 people worldwide with that name.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I am glad to see so many people have shown interest in this thread...I thought it might just 'bomb'.
Dotti, my dad was James Henry Duxbury....my grandmother was Sarah Elizabeth Lee(or Leigh not sure of the spelling.)
My Grandma on Ma's side was Blenkiron......I traced the Blenkirons to Horncastle in Lincolnshire....bur I think the name has some Dutch South African connections.
I find the whole genealogical stuff really interesting, but a bit mind boggling too.
I did some research on the family tree a good while ago and it was very addictive.

[Gordon Booth]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

Gordon - a booth is a township |(?) - eg Crawshawbooth.

Bob,don't be a spoilsport. I knew that!

But my research proves my ancestor sailed from the Isle of Man in his longship, up the River Ribble, looting, pillaging and raping as he went(those were the days). Stopping every now and again to bury his treasure when it got too heavy(they found some a while ago, I thought of claiming it).
Up the Hodder and Calder, when they got to the River Stink they had to get out and walk(didn't want to get their longship dirty).
Conquered Crawshaw, called it Crawshawbooth in honour of my ancestor, marched on to the Oak Ringed Town. Looted,pillaged(wouldn't be worth bothering today) but thought it so beautiful they settled there. That was before you had Labour and Tory councils of course, today they'd quickly move on.
As Margaret says, genealogical research is very interesting.

[dotti34]

Margaret, I have traced the Duxbury part of my husband’s family back to Ralph Duxbury, born 1696 and his wife Mary (nee Chadwick). They lived in Waterside, Colne. Maybe there is some connection along the way between your dad and this family, although I think there are a number of Duxburys, so maybe not. It would be nice to think so though.

I agree that searching family history is all a bit mind boggling at times but so very interesting, takes a lot of time and a fair bit of ‘detective’ work. It certainly is addictive. Can be very frustrating but also very rewarding when things come together.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by dotti34

Eric, interesting re the Slater name. My husband's maternal family were Slaters (mainly from Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors and Oswaldtwistle). Good stock!

By the way, one of his great-uncles (Harold Slater), born 1894, emigrated to Canada.

Not much into the ancestry thing; but I do know that my grandad, John Thomas "Jack" Slater, who was born in 1896, was one of 11 children ... all boys. He was the youngest by the way. The only one I knew was my great uncle Matthew. He was from Ossy ... think he was some sort of Baptist preacher.

My father's two brothers, Frank, from Hapton, and Fred (very creative with names was Jack Slater, both emigrated to Australia in '56. I'm sure of the year because the Suez canal was closed and their P&O liner had a long trip. I believe Frank settled in some place called Tea Tree Gully. Fred I don't know about. He was the black sheep of the family ... gave me my first fag.

[AccyMad]

Thanks for the link Margaret - very interesting
5468 of us O'Mara's apparently with the bulk being in the US, Australia & England - only 595 in Ireland, thought that would have been higher but seeing as it's only the 80,235th most common name perhaps not surprising??

[landhusweg]

My Surname is Kenyon, which originated from the Hamlet of Kenyon which is just outside Manchester.
When I was travelling around the World during my career, I started looking up “Kenyon” in the telephone books of the various cities that I was in. I can tell you that there are Kenyons in every major City in the World.

Cheers

Philip Kenyon

[Gordon Booth]

I traced both our families, both sides, back to the 1850's, gets difficult as it spreads out.
When I got my new PC it didn't transfer across, told I might recover it but never tried. I certainly don't fancy starting from scratch again.
Interesting the curious bits of history you pick up. The woman who had two girls within a year and a half, both with the same name. Check Deaths- the first one died just a couple of months old. Sad.
The very proper Victorian lady who had several children but the first one was christened with her maiden name?? Bet that caused a stir but it didn't stop her getting married!