Surnames D to G:  Page 1 - Shetland Y-DNA Surname Project
Surname                                 DYS Markers and Allele Values                         
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
                       9  9  9  9  8  8  2  8  3  8  9  8  5  5  5  5  5  4  3  4  4  6  6  6  6
                       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
                                                         1      2
Haplogroup; Proposed Origin: Surname - Y-DNA Signature; Meaning and Early Occurrences of the
Name - Shetland (Beattie), Orkney (Lamb), Scotland (Black); Traditions; Earliest Known Paternal
Ancestor; DNA Matches; Comments
Project Home Page
GOODLAD        13 24 15 12 11 15 12 12 11 13 13 29 17 09 10 11 11 25 15 19 29 15 15 17 17
(12146)
R1b1c9; Scottish Mainland - German / Scandinavian; As a Scottish name, GOODLAD appears as
GUDLADE in Sterlingshire in the 14th Century.  It has similar antiquity in Fife. The name has many
spelling variations including GULLADE.  As to its arrival in Shetland, the evidence suggests that,
"Some early sixteenth century "ferrylouper" (the name given a Scottish settler in Orkney and
Shetland) from Fife, carried the name to the Shetland Islands".  "In Shetland the name is confined
mainly to 'The Ness', Tingwall, and Burra".  Earliest record of name in Shetland is 1577 when Johne
GOODLAT, Nichole GOODLAIT, and Thomas GOODLAIT were noted as being tenants in Tingwall.  
the name has not been recorded in Orkney ;  A tradition recalled in this line is that the name was
originally Gullet, and that the paternal ancestor came from Germany or perhaps Friesland /
Holland.  One version has two brothers shipwrecked in Shetland; John GOODLAD, born before
1695, Burland, Trondra; YSTR, 5 / 20,000.  All matches from Spain and Portugal; 23 / 25 match with a
GOODLETT with ancestral connections to Mainland Scotland; and a 33/37 match with a 4th cousin of
the latter.  Only other matches even at 12 / 12 (but also including 25/25) located to date are with
SKEEN males in database of FTDNA who may have originated in parish of Skene near Aberdeen,
Scotland.  Thre is, for example a 37/37 match with a SKEENS and a 36/37 match with a SKEEN; The
matches are extraordinarily unusual - especially since all the Skeen males in the FTDNA database
apparently descend from a Jonathan Skean who resided in Maryland, USA in the 1700s.  Clearly it
would be instructive to explore any possible connections between the two families.  The name Goodlad
has not been reported in Orkney.  The family tradition is given support by the specialized R1b DNA
testing in that about 75% of the R1b in Friesland is R1b1c9 (S21+).
To Data Index Page
GEORGESON    13 22 14 10 13 13 11 14 12 13 11 29 15 08 09 08 11 23 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
(15830)
I1a;  Shetland Aboriginal - Scandinavian; Patronymic; "In June of 1669 a father and two sons went
out fishing from the island of Nolsoy in the Faeroe Islands.  They where in a storm and their
boat was damaged.  The storm blew them down to Shetland where they landed at a place called
Dale (Daal) on the west coast of the Mainland.  This is a few miles north of Walls where my
grandfather was born.  They turned their boat over and slept under it as they repaired it.  After
a bit they built a small building to live in (the foundation is still there).  When the boat was
repaired one or both of the sons decided to stay."  Apparently there is a man with the surname
Poulson in the Faeroe Islands who is related to the participant; George WALTERSON, born about
1760, Walls, son of Walter THOMASON;  There are no matches in the FTDNA customer database, this
being a very rare signature.  In the Haplogroup Database, however, by far the largest number of
matches are for Sweden.  The participant matches SLATER #14497 a very significant 35 / 37.  Matches
at this level are seen in second cousins, and while the time depth of the relationship cannot be
accurately pinned down, it would be safe to say that it was likely since the 1600s in terms of time to
the most recent common ancestor.  See above for match to FRASER;  In comparing genealogical notes
it appears that there is a link between the two families at Forratwatt, Walls, which was owned by the
Georgeson participant's ancestor, George Walterson.  One hypothesis to explain the match is that one
of the sons noted above from the Faeroe Islands stayed, and one year later, in 1670, had a son Thomas
Sclater.  It is believed that at some point thereafter one branch, as was typical in Shetland, began
using patronymics while the other maintained the fixed SLATER (Sclater) surname;  This is a
fascinating example where individuals of different surnames match (Williamson and Blance being
another), but this relationship was not suspected previous to the DNA evidence.  Here new family links
are forged, and both have a tie to Sweden, likely via the Faeroe Islands where a recent study has
shown strong genetic ties of the people there to Sweden.  The participant is attempting to contact the
supposed Poulson relative and if there is a DNA match, then this family and that of the Slaters will
have to be placed in a Faeroe Islands category.  It was expected that this participant would match
WALTERSON, both sharing and ancestor in common in the above Walter THOMASON.  This
prediction was not confirmed.  For more information see WALTERSON (23841).  In addition, the
POULSON from the Faroe Islands failed to match either WALTERSON or GEORGESON.  The match
with FRASER adds more complexity to the picture.  This participant has obtained 67 markers and so
the potential exists to explore high resolution matches.
To Page 2 of D to
G:
FRASER         13 22 14 10 13 13 11 14 12 13 11 29 15 08 09 08 11 23 16 20 30 12 14 15 15
59032
I1a;  Scottish Orkney - Scandinavian;  Unknown, but best guess for the surname includes a Norman
origin based on the earliest recording of the surname - de Fresel and de Friselle.  Others maintain
that it is a Gealic name that was erroneously recorded by a clerk.  The spelling ffraser appears first in
1293.  The name Walter Fraser was recorded in Orkney in 1423.  In Shetland Sir John Fresell was
vicar of Walls in 1512;  None recorded;  John FRASER born 1808 Sandsting son of Peter (Patrick)
FRASER born about 1781; There are 12/12 matches to a Jefferson and GEORGESON (15830).  At the
25 marker level threre is a 24/25 match with the same participant as well as a Murray.  At the high
resolution of 37 markers the only matches are 36/37 with GEORGESON, and 34/37 with SLATER
(14497).  The largest percentage of matches are to Sweden;  Clearly there is a genetic link between
FRASER, GEORGESON, and SLATER. A lot of genealogical comparing of notes is needed to
understand what the genetic data indicates, but it is clear that the three men have the same Shetland
ancestor at some unknown point in the past.
GARRICK          13 24 14 10 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 30 18 09 10 11 11 25 15 20 30 15 15 17 17
(74206)
R1b; Scottish Orkney - Celtic / Pictish;  Scottish surname which originated as a place - name from
Garriock in Aberdeenshire.  Has been in the Northern Isles for a long time.  Recorded in Orkney
since 1424, and in Shetland, according to Beattie, "when Effie Garriocht was described as
'grandmamys' (gradmother) to Katherine Leask" in 1488; Tradition suggests that at an early date
(early 15th Century) the Garriochs were married into "Norwegian nobility" (according to Lamb);  
The earliest recorded ancestor was Cornelius GARRICK born in Sandsting in 1681, and son
Cumming GARRIOCK born in Sandsting in 1735, married secondly to Catherine FRASER;  There
are over 320 exact 12/12 matches in the FTDNA customer database.  However, the profile by country
of origin is very informative.  There is a preponderance of those who are from Scotland, by a wide
margin.  The same phenomenon with 24/25 matches, most of the surnames are Scottish.  At 37
markers there was one high resolution match with a JOHNSON, 33/37;  Due to the tradition of
intermarriage with Norwegian nobility it will be interesting to see if it was on the maternal or
paternal side, which will hopefully be evident from the DNA motif.  The Y-DNA signature points
strongly to an aboriginal Scottish and so Pictish ancestry on the paternal side.
GARRICK            13 24 14 10 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 30  (awaiting further markers)
(95028)
R1b; Scottish Orkney - Celtic / Pictish; See above; See above; See above; See above; Both
participants descend from the same ancestor, Cornelius GARRICK.  Having a second haplotype for
this family increases the confidence that what we have is "the" GARRICK signature.  An attempt
will be made to locate the haplotype of a GARRICK from Orkney to see if there is a match.
GARSTER            13 22 14 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 08 09 08 11 22 16 20 28 12 12 14 16
(129381)
I1-M253; Orkney Aboriginal - Norwegian: A farm name from Orkney likely GARTHSETTER, with
Edward GARTHSETTER, Sorwick, Rousey, 1613; from Garthsetter in Birsay or Sandwick.  Family
name no longer found in Orkney.  In Shetland an Adam, aka Edward, GARTHSETTER was an 18
year old witness in a Stewart court case of 1687; In Fetlar the oral tradition is that the name
comes from a Danish seaman saved from a wreck there.  This wreck was dived in 1738 and
one of the divers was Adam GARTHSETTER.  There were GARSTERS in Yell in the 1760s;
Daniel GARSTER born 1781 Aith, Fetlar, son of Jacob GARSTER and Mitchell JAMIESON; There are
124 12/12 matches in the FTDNA database, 21 23/25 matches, and 2 33/37 matches.  At the 25 marker
level there does not appear to be any typical Shetland or Orkney surnames, although
RICHARDSON, HENRY and SPENCE might be.  The highest matches were to a BREMER and a
SWANSON.  While the matches tend to be consistent with the overall spread of haplogroup I1a
(Germanic countries including Great Britain), there is a relatively high percentage to those from
Norway.  This would appear to be consistent with the surname; Considering that the surname is no
longer found in Orkney and is rare in Shetland the results are not surprising.  There is little doubt
that the haplotype is Norwegian.