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Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of questions that we have been asked by our clients and visitors to our website. If you don't see your question answered below, please visit our Ask us a Question page and we will answer your question as quickly as we can.
a user asks:
Question
Can I buy maps to download from the Roots Map website?
Answer
Yes please visit our store for more information about the maps that you can download.
Question
What is a surname distribution map?
Answer
A surname distribution map shows the incidence of a particular name in a given area. RootsMap Infill Maps are based on the 1881 census and show the distribution of a surname, by county, throughout GB mainland, by place of birth.
Question
Does that mean that is how the name was distributed in 1881?
Answer
No. By using the date of birth Rootsmap create a map which reflects the distribution of a surname in the late 18th and early 19th century. Other distribution maps show place of census ie where people where living at the time of the 1881 census, not where they come from as is the case with Rootsmap.
Question
Are all the entries used?
Answer
If there are sufficient entries, only heads of household which are predominately male
Question
What if there aren't many entries of a name in the census?
Answer
All the entries are used and a valid map can be produced showing which county shows the highest concentration of the name.
Question
What if there are only a very few entries in the census?
Answer
Rootsmap has created maps with less than 20 entries but will always consult with the client before proceeding on maps with low entries.
Question
Do I need an earlier map to show the origins of a surname?
Answer
The accepted academic view is that despite population shift over the centuries a surname will still be found in the locality where it became first established. This is definitely the case with less common names but even with more frequently occurring surnames definite hotspots can be traced. Census coverage was also not as comprehensive prior to 1881, so a depiction of the name covering the whole country is less reliable using earlier data.
