Surname Distribution Maps
United States 
Emigration and Immigration Surname Distribution Maps
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Sometimes, it is possible to guess where where an immigrant ancestor originated through surname distribution maps. These maps graphically demonstrate where surnames occurred at different periods in time. This strategy provides genealogists with a research starting point in the birth country, when that information cannot be discovered in American sources. It works particularly well for less-common surnames and among families that have stayed in the same locations for centuries.