Surnames A to C - Page 4:  Shetland Y-DNA Surname Project
Surname             DYS Markers and Allele Values:  For 26 to 37 See
Spreadsheet                         
and (Kit#)             3  3  1  3  3  3  4  3  4  3  3  3  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4
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                       3  0      1  5  5  6  8  9  9  2  9  8  9  9  5  4  7  7  8  9  4  4  4  4
                                      a  b             +      +     a  b                         a  b  c  d
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Haplogroup; Proposed Origin: Surname - Y-DNA Signature; Meaning and Early Occurrnences of
Name - Shetland (Beattie), Orkney (Lamb), Scotland (Black); Traditions; Earliest Known Paternal
Ancestor; DNA Matches; Comments
Project Home Page
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.
To Data Index Page
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..