Surnames A to C - Page 4: Shetland Y-DNA Surname Project |
BURGESS 13 24 14 11 12 14 12 12 13 13 13 29 18 09 10 11 11 24 14 18 30 15 15 16 16 (18367) R1b1c; Orkney Aboriginal - Celtic / Pictish; "An Orcadian surname probably derived from Burgar in Evie - Rendall Parish, Orkney". In 1492 there was a Mawnis (Magnus) BUROWGAR from Marwick, Orkney. According to Beattie the first recorded instance of the surname in Shetland was "in 1572 when James BURGAR was witness to a document in Yell". Black writes, "The surname has now been merged with BURGESS"; None reported; John BURGAR, born about 1750, residing in Hillwell, Dunrossness as an adult; 931 / 20,000 in YSTR Database - widely distributed throughout Western Europe from Spain to Germany; The haplogroup database shows 11 / 12 matches from Wales to Russia. In the FTDNA customer database this participants has a 12 / 12 match with unrelated individulas; but at the 25 marker level, he matches BURGESS 18368 and BURGAR 18365 at 23/25 - these being the only high resolution matches in the entire 100,000 plus database; What is most intriguing is that the Burgars of Orkney who had their DNA analyzed, and those from Shetland who probably originated in Orkney come from two lineages - entirely unrelated - one Celtic - like (R1b) and one Norse Viking (R1a). In exploring the book by Lamb, he believes that the "family name Burowgar is a corrupt form of Borg - garor, the garor or farm beside the borg or fort. From this it is reasonably safe to conclude that this was the name of the farm that preceeded the farms of Langskaill and Nethereskaill in Marwick and from which some of the Orkney Burgar/Burgher names are derived. It would seem that the Burgars of Marwick later adopted the surnames Langskaill and Netherskaill since it is families bearing these names that we find occupying these farms afterwards. It should be noted that the Westray surname Burgher and its variants may have originated in a similar fashion from the vanished farm of Burrogarth in Rapness. In 1664 there was a small farm in the Rapness area of Westray known as Quoyburrigar which suggests that it was owned by a 'Burrigar' family." This information strongly suggests that the reason for the two haplotypes / haplogroups for the two BURGARs is that there were multiple origins of the name. The R1b1c status and lack of Scandinavian matches points to a Celtic / Pictish connection. It is possible that the John noted above was a son of the Robert below (18368), but the DNA evidence does not support this attribution. More work needs to be done to link this family together. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that there is a family descended from one John BURGAR, born about 1742 (place unknown), and living in London, England in 1776 and one of which descendants the present participant 10 / 12. It is one of the latter's descendants who initiated the BURGAR DNA study. Clearly the evidence suggests that John of London or his ancestors were likely born in Shetland, and the 25 marker data confirms it. Beattie reports that, "Burgar survives amongst descendants in London......" |
BURGESS 13 24 14 11 12 15 12 13 13 13 13 29 18 09 10 11 11 24 14 18 30 15 15 16 16 (18368) See above; See above; See above; See above; Robert BURGAR, born about 1725, residing in Brake, Dunrossness as an adult; See above. In the Haplogroup Database this participant has matches across Europe from Ireland to France at 10 / 12, and one 11 / 12 match with someone from the Isle of Mann. This participant has no 12/12 matches in the FTDNA customer database, and at the 25 marker level, only one match, at 23/25 with #18367; Curiously this participant has a marker pattern discrepant from the other BURGESS and the two BURGARS on the first 12 markers (10/12), but a perfect match on the second panel of 13 markers. |
COUTTS 13 24 14 11 11 15 12 12 14 13 13 30 (21825) R1b1c; Scottish Mainland - Celtic / Pictish; A place name from Cults in Aberdeenshire. Name not found in Orkney. In Shetland the first recorded instance of the name was one one Thomas COWTTIS a lawrightman from Unst in 1561; None recorded; Andrew COUTTS, born 1754, Kirkabister, North-a-Voe, Yell, son of James COUTTS and Margaret JEROMSON; In the YHRD database there are 23 exact matches for 9 markers. The matches are scattered from Portugal to Germany. There is only one exact 12/12 match in the FTDNA customer database with a person whose surname is Miover. The Haplogroup Database has most of the matches between Italy and Ireland; The match profile is that of a likely Celtic / Pictish signature. |
COPLAND 13 25 15 11 11 14 12 12 10 13 12 30 15 09 10 11 11 24 14 20 31 12 15 15 16 (24473) R1a; Scottish Orkney - Norse; Place name from Northern England. First appeared in Orkney 1455. In Shetland the name occurs in 1546 when one Gilbert COPLAND witnessed a document; Alexander COPLAND, born 1759, Queyfirth, Northmavine, son of Laurence COPLAND and Margaret WINCHESTER; Two 12/12 matches in FTDNA customer database, with surnames Sutton and Cox. What is most interesting is a 23/25 match with a FLATT. Many FLETTS from Orkney changed their surname to FLATT in North American. Thus there may be a relationship beteween the COPLANDS and the FLETTS extending back into Orkney. In the Haplogroup Database the majority of matches are with those from Central Asia (e.g., China - Uygur) and Hungary as well as Sweden; It is surprise that this participant is R1a considering that most with Scottish surnames are expected to be R1b. In addtion, the hypothesis that this participant would match BEATTIE (23128) was not confirmed. |
BURGAR 12 24 14 11 12 14 12 12 14 13 13 29 18 09 10 11 11 24 14 18 30 15 15 16 16 (18365) R1b1c; Orkney Aboriginal - Celtic / Pictish; See BURGESS below; The London BURGARS are from Shetland; John BURGAR, born 1742, probably in Shetland, died 1796 London; See match profile for #18367 below; The DNA evidence supports the contention that John BURGAR of London was from Shetland and closely related to the line of #18367; This participant set out to support of refute the belief of a Shetland connection - the evidence in favour of the hypothesis is overwhelming. |
DUNCAN 13 23 14 11 11 15 12 12 12 13 13 29 17 09 10 11 11 25 15 20 32 15 15 17 18 (127748) R1b1b2: Scottish Mainland - (Germanic); Gaelic for "dark head". First note in Shetland an Andrew DUNCAN, 1604, Unst; None recorded; ;A fairly rare haplotype. At 12 marker level most matches English and Scottish. At 23/25 one individual from England and one from Scotland. The closest Shetland match is SINCLAIR (16862) at 22/25; If deep clade SNP tested this haplotype will probably be R1b1b2g, suggesting a Germanic (perhaps Angle) origin in Scotland. The family may be from the same ancient lineage as the Sinclairs, but this could better be established with 37 markers.. |