Genealogy Chat

A recent thread (Jean in a muddle) shows that she is having trouble researching her JONES family. No wonder The ONS (Office of National Statistics) published a list of 270,000 surnames shared by 54.4 million people as at 2002. The surnames are ranked in order. SMITH 1, JONES 2, WILLIAMS 3, TAYLOR 4, BROWN 5, DAVIES 6, EVANS 7, THOMAS 8, WILSON 9, JOHNSON 10. Many years ago my friend Paul Smith, started a one name study of his mother's maiden name, (same name as me), which ranks 8063 on list above. Smart what! HINT HINT for Jean in a muddle

No, sorry Raymond, those figures have been fixed, to conceal the one million men bearing the name of James Holden/Holding, all of whom were BMD'd in Lancashire in the 1800s. Olde Crone

Do you have a link for this please - I'd like to know if its worthwhile trying to sort out one of my branches... or whether they are too COMMON to bother with.

In reply to Old Crone Holden at 2002 there were 22464 people with Holden surname which ranked a high 315 on the list. What did you say your mother's maiden name was............. In reply to someone who asked if I had a link yes I do, is there a quick way of putting same onto here? (I have limited skills on the computer) Regards, Ray Whincup

See if this works www.taliesin-arlein.net/names/search.php

WOW thats great thanks My father's surname - 297; ranking 16,480 - I could almost do a one-name study just of my own rellies!!! I've got about 50 of these up to 1901. the COMMON lot - 810 of them, ranking 7830. I've only got one SMITH in my tree so far, so I don't think I'll bother any more with THAT branch LOL

Pleased you like the list Vicky, and I am amazed I managed to get it right. With the ranking you just mentioned you could easily do a one name study of same, which i believe is the best approach for less common surnames. (Census Ancestry for example just looking for William Henry X if your search comes up great, but listing and printing all gives good base record and picks up Wm. for example). Also it permits ALL TYPES search on free BMD. Find your family and then repeat search with District only that they are in. Regards Ray Whincup

With a name of norris there are 234.16 Ranked as 298 is any wonder i can't find my grandfathhers death cert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ann

AND the millions of EDWARDS and THOMPSONS should be up there somewhere too!!!

YEP! There they are: Edwards is 17th, Thompson is 13th and the other most common name I have been looking for, Wright, is 13th. Now wonder I have been going slowly insane the past few months. Then they all named their children John and Mary Ann, with a few Williams and Eliza's for good measure!

Well my surname (Platell) ranks #127230 (12 individuals!). I know them all - they're all on my tree already. Not much point in doing a one-name study there! Richard

One of my hubby's families is now extinct!!! (I think the spelling was too difficult)

mentioning spelling just reminded me - my 'One Name Study' (of my father's surname above) would be great if the Ancestry transcribers could READ, I've had no end of variations through the censuses, and not all of them were down to enumerators who couldn't understand the local accent. I did print off a list though, and tried to establish where everyone came from! As I've mentioned in other threads, most of that surname in Northumberland in the 19th C can be traced directly to my 3xgt grandfather.

My Maiden name Bayton - 300, Ranking -16378 So I must be quite lucky then!! I have started recording every Bayton I come across as I go. Tammy

This surname counter is both interesting, and useful. Posted it very late last night. I am sure more of you will find it useful. Link shown about 5th item Ray Whincup

Considering some of my names BAMBERRY 24 = 80577 CLEPHANE 87 = 36122 NORVAL 230 = 19486 HOLLINSWORTH 89 = 35604 FORGIE 139 = 26873 You think i'd be able to find some of them Mhairi

I have Williams and Evans in my tree, and my husband's lot (the Welsh side) have Williams, Evans and Jones. But I am very lucky that I have two great-great-grandparents, whose family bible got me going in tracing my tree, whose surnames were Chowns and Smoothy, which are relatively rare. Mind you, Chowns is also recorded as Chown, Chouns, Chounes, Chownes, Chowndes and poor gt gt grandma is on 1851 census as Thomas!!!!. Smoothy has been recorded as Smithee, Smothey, Timothy and Lenorthey. So having a less common name is not necessarily an advantage. And what fun I am having with my Mealing/Maling/Melins/Mellins lot!!! nell

Raymond Only 315th on the list? You do surprise me! Ah, I see you have missed out the Holdings/Houldens/Houldings/Holdan/Holdane/Haldane/Holdin/Holdon/Holdoun.......and Ololoden! That would explain it then. Olde Crone

How exciting I must have most of the 276.5 people since the 16th century with the surname Sudder in my tree already. Only a couple more to find then - lol! Where do I find the 0.5 though?

I married a Smith, but haven't any in my own tree - got a line of Blacksmith's though, they're quite rare. I've also got Browns married to Wilsons and 5 separate branches of Clarks/Clarkes. Helen