Your Surname in the World
It can be fascinating to learn who else in the world have your same family name (surname). It can be a bit hard to contact all of them but using the online site titled ‘Forebears‘ you can learn a little of where many live across the globe. They have approximately about 11 millions names.
This site has you start by typing in the surname you are searching in the top box. You will get a dropdown list of various combinations and spellings. Click on the one you are searching. Next will be its rank in the world based on numbers with that surname. Then the approximate number of people with that name.
If a origin or meaning for the name is known that will show to the right. Next scroll down to view the world map. The darker the blue color for a specific nation, the more people in that country share the surname you are searching. As you move your mouse arrow across the map as you come to a specific nation the name of the country appears as does the number with that surname. The color changes to green showing you are highlighting it.
The lighter the blue shade the less people with that name. If it is almost white, no one with that family name is known in the nation. You can save to your computer the full size map, see the tab above the map.
Below the map will be those nations names with the number again. Now these figures are as 2014. Do look at the tab above the list of nations for the nations with the searched surname in the years 1901, 1881 and 1880 (if available). The numbers really change then.
Below that listing will be other spellings for the name and its ranking. Remember if a surname is hyphened, there will be fewer with that combination. The site is Forebears.
FamilyTree.com does have a long list of surnames with their origins, meaning, locations along with famous people who share that same surname. Its link: Surnames.
Photos: Popular or common surnames within each state; the Forebears global map for the surname ‘Kershaw’; and Common Surnames.
Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blogs:
Surnames are all about What???
< Return To Blog