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[jaydub]

Clicking on R2D2Trousers link (below, from the on-topic discussion about Molly) led me to an interesting resource on surnames in Great Britain.  In addition to finding the geographic distribution it gives demographic information about people with that surname in GB today.

By Jove... it seems Onstad has slipped up. Sanders appears to be a mostly Cornish name:

http://www.spatial-literacy.org/UCLnames/Map2.aspx?name=SANDERS&year=1998&altyear=1881&country=GB&type=name

Maybe all the Sanderses moved en masse from Wales to Cornwall at some time after the 1600s but before the late 1800s.

I learned about an interesting demographic categorization called "Mosaics", which assigns a descriptive name to various social classes, such as Golden Empty Nesters, Families Making Good, Industrial Grit, Pastoral Symphony, or the prosaic "Old People Living in Flats".   My own surname has the colorful, if obscure designation of "Sharing a Staircase".  Digging a little deeper, I find some characterizations:

"Whilst the image of the deep fried Mars Bar is perhaps too extreme, it is indicative of the poor eating habits that prevail. Sharing a Staircase are also highly likely to be heavy smokers, and binge drinking is a problem."

"Fear of crime runs high in these neighbourhoods, which are generally regarded as being particularly unpleasant places in which to live."

"These people are very heavily reliant on government support across the spectrum of benefits. What money is available after paying for the basics is more likely to be spent on tobacco and alcohol than put into savings, and the most common form of investment is the bookmakers."

"Sharing a Staircase contains households with young children, renting very small flats in mid rise walk up flats on large council schemes. These neighbourhoods are mostly in Scotland."

No wonder we came to America...

[theinevitable]

"United States top state: Kentucky"
 "Mosaic type with highest index #---In Military Quarters"

"The
accommodation shows complete disregard for aesthetic detail, which can hardly be helpful for the
children, and is laid out in military orderliness in streets named after famous battles or successful
military leaders"

not much else of interest. I'm sure I would get better stuff for various names which were subjugated due to the Paternal nature of last names (Blaney, Munro)

edit: both of those also came up as From Circumstances (Rustbelt Resilience and Sharing a Staircase. Both largely from Scotland.)

[Ben-San]

Apparently my mosaic type is Asian Enterprise. Conclusions drawn: none.

[vivouk]

"Whilst the image of the deep fried Mars Bar is perhaps too extreme, it is indicative of the poor eating habits that prevail. Sharing a Staircase are also highly likely to be heavy smokers, and binge drinking is a problem."

"Fear of crime runs high in these neighbourhoods, which are generally regarded as being particularly unpleasant places in which to live."

"These people are very heavily reliant on government support across the spectrum of benefits. What money is available after paying for the basics is more likely to be spent on tobacco and alcohol than put into savings, and the most common form of investment is the bookmakers."

"Sharing a Staircase contains households with young children, renting very small flats in mid rise walk up flats on large council schemes. These neighbourhoods are mostly in Scotland."

No wonder we came to America...

Ahahahahahaha, I recognised Scotland from the first clause there. 

I recommened looking at www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk for more of those japes. It's very area-orientated though, you just don't go to certain areas at certain times- there's plenty of non-scummy bits.

[littlefallsmets]

Since my last name is Italian, I do not count.

EDIT: Actually, I mean, I'm only 25% Tuscan but... the names from my Slovenian 50% and my Belorussian 25% are just as non-existent in the land of giraffe and chips.

[linnea]

Yeah, not enough Sicilians in GB in either year.

[V-Adore]

The Dutch also don't seem to be present in great quantity, so no dice here, either. (Now, running one of these for South Africa might yield something interesting...)

[KeithHernandez]

Despite the fact that probably at least 75 percent of my ancestors are from England or Ireland, my last name is French.  My mom's was English, but it seems way to common.  Hey, I am a descendent of Nathan Hale, maybe I will search that.

Nevermind, my moms seems to work, I guess.   I am not really sure how you find stuff that is funny about that name, but my mom's surname has its highest u.s. distribution in Arkansas.  As an Oklahoman, let me just say, UHHH.  At least I know my grandad came from NJ, was trying to go to Dallas after he just graduated from law school, and ended up having his car break down in OKC and then staying there.  As an American, let me just say, New Jersey, UHHHH.

Basically I know nothing about my families history except for Nathan Hale, New Jersey, my dads parents come from Ohio, and that I have Irish, English, French, Native American (no idea what nation) and Jewish blood (in that order, I think).

Also, like every male in the last couple generations has been a lawyer, or is currently trying to become a lawyer.  I am such a fuck up for my family, most of my time talkiing to them is about getting lawyers.

[Muse_Of_Fire]

You realize these mosaics are all about how they track peoples' spending habits and lifestyles for marketing purposes, right? What's interesting is the connection made between surnames and mosaics, because that will tell you something about your family history from an economic (and perhaps also diasporic--is that even a word?) perspective.

My heritage being mostly German, Norwegian, and Scottish, I was able to find some interesting connections along the Scottish line. Although it's the least of my ethnicity, IMO it's the strongest.

That said, judging from forum traffic the past few days, I'm betting that somewhere along my family tree there was some interbreeding with Native Americans with the surname "Conversation-Killer."

I'll just be over here feeling sorry for myself.

 

[jaydub]

I recommened looking at www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk for more of those japes.

Strangely/sadly enough, its not a jape.  Its an actual classification done by Experian for the purpose of figuring out how to sell stuff to people - what media particular groups pay attention to, what median income levels are, whether or not they have access to a car (hard to imagine life in the US, no matter how destitute, without a car).

I had a look at the link above, and saw the "Ned" characterization and thought someone had mis-labeled Chavs (which I've heard about through British coworkers).  Apparently those are Scottish variants of Chavs though.  Wonder what the Irish call theirs.

My family has a distinctly Scottish name, although our branch of it emigrated to Ireland sometime in the Middle Ages.  Wonder if the demographics are any better for the name in the Republic of Ireland.

[linnea]

Strangely/sadly enough, its not a jape.  Its an actual classification done by Experian for the purpose of figuring out how to sell stuff to people - what media particular groups pay attention to, what median income levels are, whether or not they have access to a car (hard to imagine life in the US, no matter how destitute, without a car).

I had a look at the link above, and saw the "Ned" characterization and thought someone had mis-labeled Chavs (which I've heard about through British coworkers).  Apparently those are Scottish variants of Chavs though.  Wonder what the Irish call theirs.

My family has a distinctly Scottish name, although our branch of it emigrated to Ireland sometime in the Middle Ages.  Wonder if the demographics are any better for the name in the Republic of Ireland.

This is my favorite photo of a Chavette by far. She's having a fag outside of Euston Hosp.

http://flickr.com/photos/malias/25784483/in/set-72057594074193944/

[Drygioni]

http://flickr.com/photos/malias/25784483/in/set-72057594074193944/

...mother?

[vivouk]

Strangely/sadly enough, its not a jape.  Its an actual classification done by Experian for the purpose of figuring out how to sell stuff to people - what media particular groups pay attention to, what median income levels are, whether or not they have access to a car (hard to imagine life in the US, no matter how destitute, without a car).

I had a look at the link above, and saw the "Ned" characterization and thought someone had mis-labeled Chavs (which I've heard about through British coworkers).  Apparently those are Scottish variants of Chavs though.  Wonder what the Irish call theirs.

My family has a distinctly Scottish name, although our branch of it emigrated to Ireland sometime in the Middle Ages.  Wonder if the demographics are any better for the name in the Republic of Ireland.

I really loathe the term 'Chav'. It's rubbish! 'Ch-av'- there's no zing!

'Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn-ed' on the other hand...

I wasn't referring to the marketing data and stuff, just Scotland in general.

Also check out http://www.bloodbus.com/

[applebed]

It came out with "Greenbelt Guardians" for my paternal grandfather, which is under K: RURAL ISOLATION.

"Greenbelt Guardians includes a large numbers of rural communities in areas of outstanding natural beauty.... They are likely to be members of the National Trust and the Women’s Institute and to be active in their local parish church.... Kitchens have Agas.... due to the absence of mains gas supplies... Rural sports have many devotees – these are areas where children in wealthier families may own a pony and where sailing, giraffeing and shooting are popular pastimes....
Swings and roundabouts on village greens cater for a cohort that is largely absent – most children have reached secondary school age and will leave home permanently to live in towns once they reach the age of employment."

For my paternal grandmother it's E: Urban Intelligence: Counter Cultural Mix which only really tells me she was an Irish expat. Um, you think?

In my futile search for Lee (the Chinese name, not the English one), I was amused to find that LEET is an actual name.

So, in my heritage I have farm workers trapped by acres of rolling countryside, where now only old people can/want to stay. This is in addition to itchy-footed Irish, and even more itchy-footed Guangdong Chinese who've moved to England via Malaysia. Could've told you that myself...

[V-Adore]

In my futile search for Lee (the Chinese name, not the English one), I was amused to find that LEET is an actual name.

I knew a kid in middle school named Elizabeth Lamer (and yes, pronounced that way, not "la-MAIR" or any such cop-out). I always felt kinda sorry for her.