Surnames, we all have them. But do we know where they came from and how they’re distributed around the globe. Possibly not, but now there’s an easy way to find out – the Public Profiler web site.
Developed by geographers from University College London, it uses data from electoral rolls and phone books covering 26 countries and 300 million people to offer maps of surnames – where they’re from and where they’ve gone.
One of the researchers, Professor Paul Longley, told the BBC:
"The information is not just historical but geographical. We can link names to places – a name is now not just a statement of who you are but where you are."
Editors' Recommendations
- Intel road map explained: going beyond 2027
- How to create multiple profiles on a Facebook account
- How to map macros on your gaming keyboard
- Protect public from AI risks, White House tells tech giants
- How to drop a pin in Google Maps
