Find Your Name

One way to track down your ancestors is to find out which of the islands or parishes are associated with the name you're looking for.

To use the map below for this purpose, please move your mouse over the map to particular parishes and islands - a list of the most common names on the particular island will appear.

If you'd like to print out the lists of the most common names, please click on the islands or parishes and a small window will open containing the information you require.

Orkney Map Common Names from Gairsay: Harrold Common Names from Westray: Allan, Bain, Benston, Berstan, Bews, Bigland, Brown, Burgher, Cooper, Cutt, Donaldson, Drever, Fergus, Foulis, Goar, Gray, Groat, Harcus, Hewison, Kent, Leask, Leslie, Liddle, Logie, Mason, Mowat, Munro, Paplay, Paterson, Pottinger, Rendall, Ring, Robertson, Rousay, Sandison, Scollay, Scott, Seatter, Stevenson, Stout, Thomson, Tulloch, Westray, Wilson, Young Common Names from Burray: Allan, Bruce, Budge, Burray, Dass, Duncan, Laird, Leith, Mackay, Matches, Mathieson, Petrie, Rosie, Sinclair, Sutherland, Swanney, Thomson, Wards, Wylie Common Names from Sanday: Brown, Bichan, Cott, Croy, Dearness, Drever, Fea, Fotheringham, Garamont, Garrioch, Goar, Grieve, Guthrie, Harcus, Harrold, Housa, Layland, Learmonth, Linklater, King, Marykirk, Meaness, Meil, Milne, Muir, Moodie, Nicolson, Northskaill, Peace, Pratt, Rousay, Rendall, Sanday, Scalbrae, Sclater, Scott, Shearer, Sinclair, Skea, Thomson, Thoraldson, Towrie, Tulloch, Turfus, Walls, Wallace, Wassie, Westness, Wilson Common Names from Birsay: Baikie, Birsay, Breck, Cairncross, Comloquoy, Couper, Crowdun, Curcum, Flett, Folster, Govall, Grieve, Grutgar, Gyre, Hammer, Harper, Harvey, Hay, Hourston, Housebie, How, Howarhouse, Hunto, Hunter, Husaquoy, Ingasay, Irvine, Isbister, Kirbister, Langskaill, Lankster, Leaquoy, Leary, Leean, Matches, Marwick, Meadows, Merriman, Moar, Mowat, Nearhouse, Netherskaill, Petrie, Quoys, Quhuay, Ritquoy, Ruthquoy, Sabiston, Spence, Stanger, Swanney, Taylor, Twatt, Watt, Whitelaw Common Names from North Ronaldsay: Ancum, Dennison, Kelday, Lennie, Muir, Russell, Scott, Swanney, Thomson, Treb, Tulloch, Turfus, Wasness, Westness, Westerholland Common Names from Wyre: Flaws, Harrold, Mainland, Unysbister Common Names from Shapinsay: Byres, Craigie, Drever, Harcus, Heddle, Hutchison, Irvine, Kemp, Laughton, Liddle, Mason, Maxwell, Meaness, Quoys, Reid, Rendall, Russell, Sangar, Scott, Sinclair, Skethaway, Work Common Names from Stronsay: Brodie, Burgess, Caithness, Chalmers, Croy, Dennison, Drever, Fea, Fiddler, Fotheringham, Harcus, Housa, Learmonth, Leslie, Maxwell, Miller, Peace, Rendall, Rousay, Scollay, Shearer, Sinclair, Smith, Stout, Stevenson, Stout, Twatt, Wards, Williamson Common Names from South Ronaldsay: Annal, Banks, Berstan, Brown, Bruce, Budge, Burwall, Cobban, Cromarty, Dearness, Doull, Duncan, Elsetter, Esson, Fairwell, Flaws, Garth, Garay, Goodsir, Gorrie, Gruthay, Gunn, Habreck, Halcro, Holland, Hottite, Hourston, Ingland, Kennedy, Kirk, Laird, Laughton, Learmonth, Leith, Leslie, Linklater, Loutit, Lyall, MacKinson, Mair, Matches, Mathieson, Mowat, Murquoy, Nicholson, Norquoy, Omand, Petrie, Quoys, Richan, Ronaldsa, Rorie, Rosie, Ross, Sabiston, Scott, Serrigar, Simison, Sinclair, Skebister, Smyddie, Stockan, Suckquoy, Surquoy, Sutherland, Swanney, Tait, Thomson, Wards, Williamson, Windwick, Wishart, Wood Common Names from Papa Westray: Bigland, Davidson, Drever, Gray, Groat, Harcus, Hourston, Irvine, Miller, Papay, Rendall, Seatter Common Names from Egilsay: Bews, Cooper, Craigie, Donaldson, Grieve, Mainland, Robertson, Stevenson, Unysbister Common Names from Rousay: Alexander, Bigland, Clouston, Corse, Corsie, Costie, Craigie, Donaldson, Estaquoy, Ethay, Flaws, Garthsetter, Gibson, Gillis, Grieve, Harcus, Harrold, Inkster, Johnston, Kirkness, Lairo, Learmonth, Leonard, Logie, Loutit, Low, Mainland, Marwick, Mowat, Netherhunclett, Neagar, Rainbister, Reid, Robertson, Rousay, Sinclair, Skethaway, Stennesgord, Stevenson, Trumland, Yorston Common Names from Eday: Benston, Burgar, Byres, Cormack, Drever, Eday, Ethay, Faray, Gray, Harcus, Miller, Noupe, Peace, Scott, Shearer, Swanney, Thomson, Tulloch, Wallace Common Names from Evie: Baikie, Balfour, Ballantyne, Brass, Brettobreck, Brown, Feauldquoy, Flaws, Flett, Glup, Halcro, Harper, Hemmigarth, Hourie, Lyall, Miller, Ollay, Ow, Pow, Quoys, Seatter, Stevenson, Trumland, Winksetter Common Names from Flotta: Barnett, Flett, Norquoy, Rendall, Robertson, Simpson, Sinclair, Sutherland, Taylor, Waters Common Names from Firth: Anderson, Baikie, Burness, Cobban, Coubister, Cursiter, Davie, Findlay, Firth, Grandon, Gray, Harray, Heddle, Hemmigarth, Holland, Matches, Millar, Oddie, Quhytquoy, Rainbister, Renaland, Scarth, Settiscarth, Shearer Common Names from Orphir: Donaldson, Findlay, Flett, Groundwater, Hall, Halcro, How, Inkster, Kemp, Kirbister, Kirkpatrick, Lerquoy, Liddle, Marwick, Oback, Pirie, Richan, Sclater, Seatter, Sinclair, Tait, Unigar, Wishart Common Names from Holm: Aim, Budge, Cornequoy, Cott, Cuthamay, Flattay, Flaws, Gaudie, Gorn, Greenwall, Hay, Holm, Ingrow, Kelday, Kirkbreck, Langskaill, Laughton, Littlejohn, Matches, Moss, Ockilsetter, Nethertoun, Papley, Ritch, Skea, Sutherland, Whitequoy Common Names from Stromness: Anderson, Baikie, Beatton, Brass, Brown, Clouston, Gordon, Gunn, Heddle, Home, Hoyman, Irvine, Keldie, Knarston, Leask, Lee, Loutit, MacKay, Merriman, Mowat, Murray, Oback, Porteous, Pow, Redland, Ritch, Robertson, Sinclair, Swanney, Swanson, Sutherland, Tait, Wilson, Wick, Yorston, Young Common Names from Tankerness: Ness, Vassand, Vedder, Wedock Common Names from Deerness: Aitken, Bichan, Colsetter, Delday, Esson, Eunson, Foubister, Gruthalay, Halley, Hilzie, Hutchison, Irvine, Johsnton, Keygar, Matches, Mirland, Mowat, Oback, Petrie, Pirie, Pottinger, Scambester, Skaill, Skea, Stove, Swanson, Wylie, Wynndwall, Yairfa Common Names from Graemsay: Eunson, Skinner, Wilson Common Names from Rendall: Balfour, Brettobreck, Brown, Corston, Donaldson, Ellibister, Linklater, Marsetter, Quoynamuckle, Rendall, Richan, Wood Common Names from Sandwick: Aith, Baikie, Borwick, Brass, Duncan, Garson, Goldiger, Gorn, Graham, Grind, Halkland, Hammerclett, Harvey, Hourston, Hestwall, Housegarth, Howan, Instably, Irvine, Kirkness, Linklater, Marsetter, Marwick, Merriman, Millar, Moar, Moodie, Nethergarson, Norn, Redland, Rowland, Scartane, Skaill, Spence, Stickler, Stockan, Swartland, Thirsill, Tronston, Unigar, Voy, Warth, Watt, Wishart, Zuilday Common Names from Hoy: Barnet, Brough, Chalmers, Flett, Hoyman, Johnston, Kilpatrick, King, Lyness, Moodie, Norquoy, Ritch, Robertson, Robson, Simpson, Sinclair, Sutherland, Stout, Swanson, Taylor, Thomson, Umbesetter, Walls, Waters, Young, Yule Common Names from Kirkwall: Anderson, Bain, Barnett, Bews, Bruce, Burgher, Clark, Cooper, Craigie, Delday, Dennison, Donaldson, Drever, Dunnet, Eunson, Farquhar, Findlay, Fergus, Fiddler, Findlay, Fotheringham, Garrioch/Garriock, Gibson, Gorn, Grieve, Groundwater, Guthrie, Harcus, Harray, Hay, Heddle, Hourston, Hutchison, Keldie, Kemp, Laird, Laughton, Learmonth, Leask, Leonard, Leslie, Liddle, Logie, Loutit, MacDonald, MacKay, Mair, Marwick, Millar, Moodie, Mooney, Mowat, Muir, Munro, Nicholson, Peace, Pottinger, Quoybanks, Rorie, Rosie, Sabiston, Sclater, Scollay, Simison, Sinclair, Skea, Smith, Swanney, Sutherland, Tait, Thomson, Tulloch, Williamson, Wilson, Windwick, Wood, Wylie, Yule Common Names from Stenness: Clouston, Dowascarth, Germiston, Ireland, Leask, Leith, Matches, Mekilquoy, Omand, Onston, Ramsquoy, Redland, Robertson, Skethaway, Spence, Toung Common Names from Harray: Aitken, Bimbister, Brough, Clouston, Copland, Corrigall, Corston, Dickson, Flett, Garecott, Grimeston, How, Huntscarth, Isbister, Johnston, Kirkness, Knarston, Leask, Legrow, Lennie, Manson, Marwick, Quoys, Rensgar, Rusland, Shurie, Sinclair, Winksetter