Surname Distribution Maps: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:27, 18 July 2025

Sometimes it is possible to guess where a surname originated through surname distribution maps. These maps graphically display locations where surnames occurred at different periods in time. This strategy provides genealogists with a starting point for research in the birth country, when that information cannot be discovered through sources recorded in the new country of settlement. It works particularly well for less-common surnames and among families that have stayed in the same European locations for centuries.

Online Surname Distribution Maps[edit | edit source]

Country	Distribution Maps Most websites require entering a surname before a map is produced.	Surname Meanings, Origins, and Frequency
World (237 countries)	Forbears Surname Distribution	Forbears Surname Meaning and Origin Ancestry Surname Information MyHeritage Last Name Directory
Austria	Surname Distribution Maps of Austria
Belgium	Belgium Family Names Belgium Surname Map
Canada	Forbears Surname Distribution	British Surnames
Croatia	Mireo
Czechia	KdeJsme.cz:
Denmark	Denmark Surname Map
England	Forbears Surname Distribution Names, Public Profiler Your Family History UK Surname Map British Surnames	Your Family History British Surnames
France	Filae nom de famille; website language must be changed to French France Surname Map
Germany	Geogen Germany Surname Map CompGen Name Distribution Map Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany (DFD)	Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany (DFD)
Ireland	Irish Ancestors Ireland Surname Map Irish Surname Maps for the 1901 and 1911 Census of Ireland British Surnames	British Surnames
Italy	Italy Surname Maps GENS, Distribution of Surnames in Italy Cognomix, Maps of Italian Surnames Italy Surname Map	Italian Surnames by Town, Province or Region
Luxembourg	Luxembourg Family Atlas
The Netherlands	Netherlands Surname Map Dutch Family Name Bank
Poland	Poland Surname Map Surnames Polskie Jewish Records Indexing - Poland Surname Distribution Mapper Poland Surname Distribution Map
Romania	Romania Surname Map
Scotland	Forbears Surname Distribution Scottish Surname Maps for the 1901 Census of Scotland British Surnames Names, Public Profiler	British Surnames
Slovenia	Slovenia Statistical Office (must include diacritics!)
Spain	Spain Surname Map National Institute of Statistics (INE) Surname Maps	National Institute of Statistics (INE) Surname Frequency Statistics
Ukraine	Ukraine Surname Map
United Kingdom	UK Surname Map British Surnames	British Surnames
Wales	Names, Public Profiler British Surnames	British Surnames

External links[edit | edit source]

Geogenealogy surname mapping website
Stephen Archer's Surname Atlas CD for detailed mapping of British surnames in the 1881 census
Surname mapping, From ISOGG Wiki

References[edit | edit source]

Meitzler, Leland. "Surname Distribution Maps for the USA, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Austria & Switzerland on dynastree.com," Genealogy Blog.

Meitzler, Leland. "Surname Distribution Maps For Argentina, the Netherlands & the United Kingdom Are Online," Genealogy Blog.

"Surname map," Wikipedia.

"Surname Mapping," ISOGG Wiki.

Tracing immigrant origins : research outline at FS Library book 929.1 F21ro; film 6105293(*)

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-{{TIO-sidebar}}
-{{breadcrumb
-| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
-| link2=[[United States Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]]
-| link3=
-| link4=
-| link5=[[Surname_Distribution_Maps|Surname Distribution Maps]]
-}}
 {{breadcrumb
 | link1=[[Tracing Immigrant Origins|Tracing Immigrant Origins]]
-| link2=[[Tracing_Immigrants_Country_of_Origin_Records|Country of Origin]]
+| link2=[[U. S. Immigration Records: Finding the Town of Origin|Country of Origin]]
 | link3=
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@@ Line 18: / Line 10: @@
 |{{surnamemap}} Sometimes it is possible to guess where a surname originated through [[Surname_Distribution_Maps|surname distribution maps]]. These maps graphically display locations where surnames occurred at different periods in time. This strategy provides genealogists with a starting point for research in the birth country, when that information cannot be discovered through sources recorded in the new country of settlement. It works particularly well for less-common surnames and among families that have stayed in the same European locations for centuries.
-===Online Surname Distribution Maps===
+==Online Surname Distribution Maps==
-{| width="60%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
+{| width="70%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
 |-
-|<center>'''Country'''</center>
+!Country
-|'''Website'''
+!Distribution Maps<br>Most websites require entering a surname<br> before a map is produced.
+!Surname Meanings, <br>Origins, and Frequency
 |-
 |<center>World (237 countries)</center>
-|http://www.forebears.co.uk/surnames
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://forebears.io/surnames Forbears Surname Distribution]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://forebears.io/surnames Forbears Surname Meaning and Origin]<br>[https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts Ancestry Surname Information]<br>[https://lastnames.myheritage.com/last-names/ MyHeritage Last Name Directory]
-|<center>World (26 countries)</center>
-|http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org/
-|-
-|<center>Argentina</center>
-|[http://www.miparentela.com/Start.action http://www.miparentela.com/]
 |-
 |<center>Austria</center>
-|http://namenskarten.lima-city.at/en/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+[https://namenskarten.lima-city.at/en/ Surname Distribution Maps of Austria]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
 |<center>Belgium</center>
-|http://www.familienaam.be/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.familienaam.be/ Belgium Family Names]<br> [https://www.surnamemap.eu/belgium/ Belgium Surname Map]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
 |<center>Canada</center>
-|https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://forebears.io/surnames Forbears Surname Distribution]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|<center>Canada</center>
-|https://lastnames.myheritage.com/last-names/
 |-
 |<center>Croatia</center>
-|https://actacroatica.com/en/search?surname=True
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.mireo.com/compact-maps/examples/croatia-surnames Mireo]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
-|<center>Czech Republic</center>
+|<center>Czechia</center>
-|http://www.kdejsme.cz/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[http://www.kdejsme.cz/ KdeJsme.cz:]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
-|<center>England</center>
+|<center>Denmark</center>
-|https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.surnamemap.eu/denmark/ Denmark Surname Map]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
 |<center>England</center>
-|http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://forebears.io/surnames Forbears Surname Distribution] <br>[https://named.publicprofiler.org/ Names, Public Profiler]<br>[https://your-family-history.com/ Your Family History]<br>[https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/index.php UK Surname Map]<br>[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://your-family-history.com/ Your Family History]<br>[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|<center>England ($)</center>
-|http://www.rootsuk.com/
-|-
-|<center>France</center>
-|http://www.geopatronyme.com/
-|-
-|<center>France</center>
-|http://www.genealogie.com/nom-de-famille/
 |-
 |<center>France</center>
-|[http://www.familleunie.fr/Start.action http://www.familleunie.fr/]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.filae.com/nom-de-famille/ Filae nom de famille; website language must be changed to French]<br>[http://www.nomdefamille.eu/en/ France Surname Map]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
 |<center>Germany</center>
-|http://geogen.stoepel.net/<br> https://nvk.genealogy.net/map
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[http://geogen.stoepel.net/ Geogen]<br> [https://www.kartezumnamen.eu/en/ Germany Surname Map]<br> [https://nvk.genealogy.net/map CompGen Name Distribution Map]<br>[https://www.namenforschung.net/en/dfd/dictionary/list/ Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany (DFD)]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.namenforschung.net/en/dfd/dictionary/list/ Digital Dictionary of Surnames in Germany (DFD)]
-|<center>Ireland ($)</center>
-|http://www.johngrenham.com/
 |-
-|<center>Italy</center>
+|<center>Ireland </center>
-|http://gens.labo.net/en/cognomi/genera.html
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[http://www.johngrenham.com/ Irish Ancestors]<br> [https://www.surnamemap.eu/ireland/ Ireland Surname Map]<br>[https://www.barrygriffin.com/surname-maps/irish/ Irish Surname Maps for the 1901 and 1911 Census of Ireland]<br>[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
 |-
 |<center>Italy</center>
-|http://italia.indettaglio.it/eng/cognomi/cognomi.html
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[[Italy Surname Maps]]<br>[https://www.mappadeicognomi.it/en/GENS.html GENS, Distribution of Surnames in Italy]<br>  [https://www.cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani Cognomix, Maps of Italian Surnames]<br> [https://www.mappadeicognomi.it/en/ Italy Surname Map]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://italia.indettaglio.it/eng/cognomi/cognomi.html Italian Surnames by Town, Province or Region]<br>
 |-
-|<center>Italy</center>
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|<center>Luxembourg</center>
-|https://www.cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://lfa.uni.lu/ Luxembourg Family Atlas]
+|
 |-
-|<center>Netherlands</center>
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|<center>The Netherlands</center>
-|http://www.verwandt.de/karten/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.surnamemap.eu/netherlands/ Netherlands Surname Map]<br> [https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nfb/index.php?taal=eng Dutch Family Name Bank]
+|
 |-
-|<center>Netherlands</center>
+|<center>Poland</center>
-|http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nfb/index.php?taal=eng
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.mapanazwisk.eu/en/ Poland Surname Map]<br>[https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/ Surnames Polskie]<br>[https://data.jewishgen.org/maps/jrimap.asp Jewish Records Indexing - Poland Surname Distribution Mapper]<br>[https://nazwiska.ijp.pan.pl/ Poland Surname Distribution Map]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
-|<center>Poland</center>
+|<center>Romania</center>
-|https://nazwiska-polskie.pl/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.hartanumeromanesti.eu/en/ Romania Surname Map]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
 |<center>Scotland</center>
-|https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://forebears.io/surnames Forbears Surname Distribution]<br>[https://www.barrygriffin.com/surname-maps/scottish/ Scottish Surname Maps for the 1901 Census of Scotland]<br>[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]<br>[https://named.publicprofiler.org/ Names, Public Profiler]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
 |-
-|<center>Spain</center>
+|<center>Slovenia</center>
-|https://www.mapadeapellidos.eu/index.php
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|<br> [https://www.stat.si/imenarojstva/en/#/names/topLastnames Slovenia Statistical Office] (must include diacritics!)
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
 |-
 |<center>Spain</center>
-|https://www.ine.es/widgets/nombApell/index.shtml
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.mapadeapellidos.eu/index.php Spain Surname Map]<br> [https://www.ine.es/widgets/nombApell/index.shtml National Institute of Statistics (INE) Surname Maps]
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.ine.es/apellidos/formGeneral.do?vista=3 National Institute of Statistics (INE) Surname Frequency Statistics]
 |-
-|<center>Spain</center>
+|<center>Ukraine</center>
-|http://www.ine.es/apellidos/formGeneral.do?vista=3
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://ridni.org/karta/ Ukraine Surname Map]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
-|<center>Switzerland</center>
-|http://www.verwandt.ch/Start.action &nbsp;
 |-
 |<center>United Kingdom</center>
-|https://lastnames.myheritage.com/last-names/
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/ UK Surname Map]<br>[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|<center>United States</center>
-|https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts
-|-
-|<center>United States</center>
-|https://lastnames.myheritage.com/last-names/
 |-
 |<center>Wales</center>
-|https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://named.publicprofiler.org/ Names, Public Profiler]<br>[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|-
+|style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|[https://britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames]
-|<center>Wales</center>
-|http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/
-|-
-|<center>Wales</center>
-|http://www.rootsuk.com/
 |}
-===External links===
+==External links==
-*[http://members.shaw.ca/geogenealogy/ Geogenealogy surname mapping website]
+*[https://geogenealogy.ca/ Geogenealogy surname mapping website]
 *[http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/satlas01.htm Stephen Archer's Surname Atlas CD] for detailed mapping of British surnames in the 1881 census
+*[https://isogg.org/wiki/Surname_mapping Surname mapping, From ISOGG Wiki]
-===References===
+==References==
 <references />
-. [http://www.gen-evolu.de/ "Familienname,"] ''Wikipedia.'' Available online.
-. Meitzler, Leland. [http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5566 "Surname Distribution Maps for the USA, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Austria &amp; Switzerland on dynastree.com,"] ''Genealogy Blog''. Available online.
+Meitzler, Leland. [http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5566 "Surname Distribution Maps for the USA, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Austria &amp; Switzerland on dynastree.com,"] ''Genealogy Blog''.
-. Meitzler, Leland. [http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5826 "Surname Distribution Maps For Argentina, the Netherlands &amp; the United Kingdom Are Online,"] ''Genealogy Blog''. Available online.
+Meitzler, Leland. [http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=5826 "Surname Distribution Maps For Argentina, the Netherlands &amp; the United Kingdom Are Online,"] ''Genealogy Blog''.
-. Murphy, Nathan W. [http://www.pricegen.com/localizesurname.htm "Localize Your Surname with Distribution Maps,"] ''Price and Associates Genealogical Services''. Available online.
+[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surname_map "Surname map,"] ''Wikipedia''.
-. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surname_map "Surname map,"] ''Wikipedia''. Available online.
+[https://www.isogg.org/wiki/Surname_mapping "Surname Mapping,"] ''ISOGG Wiki''.
-. [http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Surname_mapping "Surname Mapping,"] ''ISOGG Wiki''. Available online.
+[[pt:Mapas de distribuição de sobrenomes]]
-[[pt:Mapas de distribuição de sobrenomes]]
+{{TracingIO}}
-|}
-{{TIO}}
 [[Category:Poland Emigration_and_Immigration]]
 [[Category:United_States_Emigration_and_Immigration]]
@@ Line 171: / Line 150: @@
 [[Category:Austria]]
 [[Category:Argentina Maps and Gazetteers]]
-[[Category:Czech_Republic Maps and Gazetteers]]
+[[Category:Czechia Maps and Gazetteers]]
 [[Category:Spain Emigration and Immigration]]
-[[Category:Surname]]
+[[Category:Naming Customs]]
+|}