Hi,

The idea of the online map with surnames is great! However I think the
presentation with large and small letters isn't the best option.

I think that a better presentation would be, the site providing a search
box for a surname, and presenting the surnames found as dots on the map.
In this way the user would see the distribution of a surname on the map.

Also I think a second search box for surnames, providing the user the
ability to view the distribution of a second surname along with the
first one on the map, would be even better.

Keep up the good work!

I find the map fascinating. Is it for sale through NGS?

I think this is very interesting. But, by using phone book listings, not necessarily the most accurate. Many people have unlisted numbers or only use cell phones. Also, many newer immigrants have multiple families living in the same house with the same number.

It would be interesting to see this same sort of map produced using census information.

please do make such a map of new york city. that would be truly amazing.

WHat do the different colors mean? Do a larger font size indicate a larger percentage of people with that surname?

Why are the Andersons from up north of Scandinavian origin but the Andersons in California of Scottish origin? Is this an error, or is there some weird ethnological/etymological thing there?

Interesting, but terribly flawed. Just compare the estimated emigration from various countries over the years and you immediately see a problem. Some nations are very over-represented for their relatively small populations, and others are shortchanged.
For instance, one out of seven of our citizens have German ancestry (the largest percentage of any country) and I doubt that they all married Scots and English.

What do the different colors mean?

Lots of Lee names some from China, Korea, Ireland and England

All of the Johnson's in Wisconsin and Minnesota I know are of Scandinavian descent, not meaning there are not any of English descent in the two midwest states, but I think for Minnesota and Wisconsin, Johnson should be brown for Scandinavian, or at least multi-colored.

"Slaves often took their owners' names" implies that it was a choice. The names were given to them. It wasn't a choice. A subtle but significant difference.

@Sugar, @ Dan: The legend gives you all the info you need.

I'm curious why you have not shown the names as a percent of the population. You don't actually see a correct trend otherwise. Of course there are more Smiths in the east, there are more people in the east.

I like everything about this map except for the presentation in Flash. An SVG image would be much preferred. Also, is the data set available?

What tools were used to draw this map?

Walsh is most definitely an Irish name, not English as your key indicates. In fact it is the 4th most common surname in Ireland. I know many Walsh's who would take offense to this error.

This is indeed interesting but I wonder why it seems as though the third most populous state, Texas, seems as if it is a desert --- surely there were more names to fill out all of those white spaces, no?

Very interesting, but for those of us who have a relatively unusual sirname it would eb interesting to see how we fit in

Some people have asked about the lack of German and Scandanavian names. Many, if not most, of the Smiths were originally Schmitts and many Johnsons were Johanssens.
In England you don't come across many Smiths.

Although this is an interesting sub-
ject, I'm disappointed at your lack
of research. I come from the New
York metropolitan area, and am
shocked that the Italian, Chinese,
Puerto Rican, and countries of
Africa have been completely ignored,
to name a few. Chicago and New York
both have sizable Irish populations,
as well as the countries named above.
I hope you will research more care-
fully in the future.

"Martin" and "Roy" in Maine are most definitely of French, not English, origin.