Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Britain's rarest surname...

Page 1 + 1 of 3

  1. «
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. »
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Mandy

Mandy Report 29 Aug 2006 15:43

Bev/Glen Your Biggerdikes must be a mis-transcription (or vice versa) of Bickerdike....I know of a family of that name. I'm so glad Glen added his family...2 laughs in 2 days! I don't think I've got anything too rare in my tree. Ordinary obviously! Mandy

Unknown

Unknown Report 29 Aug 2006 15:46

It isn't Mandy! There are loads of Biggadik's (sorry ...dikes!) and on IGI !! Love that name! Bev x

Jeannie

Jeannie Report 29 Aug 2006 17:18

I have Pinchback & Gritton. Don't know how rare they are as names, but mine are certainly ellusive!! My dad was in the Army during the war with a chap called Charlie Crackintackle, honest! although I have not found one on Ancestry yet. Jeanne

RStar

RStar Report 29 Aug 2006 17:31

Ive got an Ogkell. Having major probs with it. And a Beardow. And a Gothard. < Thats not so rare now, as they had many children, who in turn had children.

Jeanie

Jeanie Report 29 Aug 2006 18:31

I have the name Brundred on my tree. Not a lot of them on the census. Will look at that site to see status. jeanie A.

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 29 Aug 2006 18:49

Surely Ogkell is a mangled up version of Oghill? OC

Phoenix

Phoenix Report 29 Aug 2006 18:55

My Achyms, Plankeneys and Drinkmilks are all extinct now and if it wasn't for the prolific Edmund Skillings in eighteenth century Norfolk, that surname would have died out in the county.

Janet 693215

Janet 693215 Report 29 Aug 2006 19:17

Horsup. My paternal grandmother's name. The legend goes that the family was called Allsopp (The brewing family) When the Father died his two sons fell out and the one called Allsopp kept the brewery (and poss the trademark for IPA) and my lot became the poor ones. Allsopp was eventually merged with Ind Coope. However, they're a prolific lot and have populated the world. Did you know the leading expert on the Hairy Nosed Wombat is Alan Horsup.

Janet 693215

Janet 693215 Report 29 Aug 2006 19:19

Oh! and of course I am the only born and bred Tocqueville in the UK to still carry the name.

Allie

Allie Report 29 Aug 2006 19:29

One of my work mates is a Hosiene. He has no idea though where the name originates Wilf

Janet 693215

Janet 693215 Report 29 Aug 2006 22:34

Forgot to say earlier that one of my Horsup's married a Paulston. Seems a reasonable name but they don't appear on either of those two websites.

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 29 Aug 2006 22:38

Wilf Lots of names which begin with HOS- are portuguese or spanish in origin and would have been spelled JOS- in their native language. OC

Anne

Anne Report 29 Aug 2006 23:14

Three names on my tree appear to be extinct now. They are GOODGAMES, ASHLER and HETLEY. They all seem to have had girls for a couple of generations - it doesn't take long for the name to get very uncommon and then die out completely. Anne

Frances

Frances Report 30 Aug 2006 00:14

My grandmother's surname was Sanctuary. I am trying to trace her, she lived in Bingley and in Keighley in Yorkshire, and was born around 1892. I have found only a handful with that surname, is it one of the rarest?

Linda in the Midlands

Linda in the Midlands Report 30 Aug 2006 00:22

I have a bickerdike in my tree, I also have a Joiles the only one on GR Linda

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 30 Aug 2006 00:32

Frances Just did a quick google on the surname Sanctuary. Couldn't find out the origins, but there is a DNA project for this name, which suggests Nordic/Celtic origins. OC

Rachel

Rachel Report 30 Aug 2006 09:41

the best surname I have come across is Younghusband which I thought was a strange name to be stuck with and I also have a Humpage in my tree which sounds like some minor ailment (apologies to any Humpages out there)

The Ego

The Ego Report 30 Aug 2006 11:12

drinkmilk and goodgames-excellent surnames !

RStar

RStar Report 30 Aug 2006 11:15

OC, I think youve got a point. Cannot find anything for Ogkell...had my suspicions about it.

Robin

Robin Report 31 Aug 2006 04:02

My grandmothers maiden name was Hornadge. Her father changed the spelling from Hornage. As far as I know that spelling has died out in the UK. My Dad's cousin, who lives in Australia, believes that he is the last with that spelling, his children both being daughters. Neither spelling comes up on the spatial-literacy site although there is an 1881 map for an alternative spelling - Hornidge (still very rare).