The following data were compiled from early tax lists as reported in "A History of Surnames in the British
Isles" and other sources.
Tme Period
| One Name
| Characteristic
| Place or Manor Name
| Genealogical
| Occupation
| Unclassified
| Inherited
Example
| John
| John (the) Little
| John (of) Liddel
| John John's Son
| John (the) Sawyer
| John Hundred
| --
|
1066-1086
| 62%
| 2%
| 13%
| 4%
| 12%
| 7%
| 1%
|
1100-1154
| 17%
| 3%
| 29%
| 19%
| 18%
| 14%
| 5%
|
1196-1200
| 3%
| 3%
| 45%
| 25%
| 15%
| 9%
| 10%
|
1259-1287
| 0%
| 5%
| 35%
| 15%
| 20%
| 25%
| 20%
|
1327-1334
| 0%
| 5%
| 30%
| 24%
| 17%
| 24%
| 40%
|
1377-1381
| 0%
| 5%
| 28%
| 22%
| 25%
| 20%
| 60%
|
1461-1483
| 0%
| 4%
| 31%
| 16%
| 21%
| 28%
| 80%
|
1522-1524
| 0%
| 5%
| 26%
| 27%
| 25%
| 17%
| 95%
| The example shows how a male named John, living just after the Norman conquest, could have been the
common ancestor of hypothetical Littles, Liddels, Johnsons, Sawyers, and Hundreds living today, yet all have near-identical Y-chromosome DNA.
Note that surnames were first adopted by heads of households and were applied to all males in the
household, including wives, in-laws, step-children, domestic help, farm workers, etc (only wives maintain this quaint practice today). Consequently, many males living
today who have a common surname -- and even a common geographical origin before 1500 -- may not necessarily have a common Y-DNA signature.
| | | |
