Ancestor Maps

Where my ancestors came from, and what they were called

These maps will change as I fill in the gaps. For instance, like many Englishmen, many of my earlier ancestors came from France, and if you go back far enough, many of their ancestors came from Scandinavia. For the UK, looks like Dorset (more recently) and Yorkshire are the top two.

Proportion of my direct ancestors, based on birthplace

Map shows pre-1974 counties

Base map courtesy Association of British Counties

Given names

The table below reflects, up to a point, common trends in naming boys and girls in the UK over the centuries. William (and its variants) has consistently been a popular name, sharing top spot with John until the mid-20th century. I have a disproportionate number of Margarets, Alices and Joans - Mary (which comes in 3rd on my list), Elizabeth (1st) and Ann (7th) were the most commonly chosen names for female offspring between the 13th and 19th centuries. Douglas Galbi’s article has more.

My direct ancestor’s most common first names (top 12)