I'm Soooooo confused.... which isn't really astonishing....

[Mark E.]

Hello, Kinsman! My lines go back to the Pogues of Renfrewshire...Not sure if this will help, but it seems you have gotten the Garbled Island treatment. If when your folks came across from the old country they couldn't pronounce your name, they assigned you with a place name for a last name. I have encountered quite a few Glasgows and Perths, for example. They did the same with trade names-i.e. "Lead Beater" became "Ledbetter", Thatcher or Wright...similar.

Mark

[Mike in Dayton]

That is a very cool tool. I looked up all the names in the family and it confirmed what I knew. I was concerned that when I put in my name it might show I was not from this planet. Not to worry, the name is found in Europe so I guess I am ok.

Mike

[Pleater]

That is really weird.

I put in several family surnames and found that they are commonest in places I have lived in or been a frequent visitor to as an adult over many decades, despite there being no known family connection.

In one instance I found that the surname is really common in Australia - had my mother not married I could well have ended up there under the shipping out the inconvenient children scheme.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: