My surname is not among the 795 mapped names. What should I do next?
Do not conclude the name is not Irish. Our 795 names are the most numerous of the roughly 2,500 surnames Matheson's report covers, so plenty of genuine Irish names are not mapped yet. Three moves. First, check variant spellings, and the name without its O or Mac. Second, use the request form under the map: every request is researched from the same public records the map is built on, and names are added in batches as the research is done. Third, start the records pathway anyway: the censuses and civil records work the same whether or not your name made our map. Requests are private, never shown on the site, and nobody will try to sell you anything off the back of one.
Useful pages: The Irish surnames map · Trace your Irish roots · The 1926 Census guide · Coming home · Irish around the world · Plan your journey
Sources
- R. E. Matheson, Special Report on Surnames in Ireland; Patrick Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
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