Surnames H to I - Page 1:  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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Haplogroup; Proposed Origin: Surname - Y-DNA; Meaning and Early Occurrences of Name - Shetland
(Beattie), Orkney (Lamb), Scotland (Black); Traditions; Earliest Kown Paternal Ancestor; DNA
Matches; Comments
Project Home Page
HALCROW       13 24 15 11 11 14 12 12 11 13 11 30 16 09 10 11 11 23 14 20 32 12 15 15 16
(13168)
R1a; Orkney Aboriginal - Norse: European; "An old Orcadian surname derived from the lands of
Halcro in South Ronaldsay, which again were named from Halcro in the Parish of Bower, Caithness"
on the Scottish Mainland.  "A seventeenth - century tradition on record claims that the family were
descended from a natural son of King Sverrir of Norway".  While the HALCROWS were in Orkney
from 1492, the first recorded instance in Shetland was 1525, with Nicoll HAWCRO of Tingwall;
Apparently the Halcrow armorial bearings were expressed in Scandanavian heraldic terms;
Malcolm HALCROW, born about 1730, probably Sandwick; YSTR Database: 48 / 20,000 - only in
Eastern Europe, Scandanavia, and Asia; one FTDNA customer matches, with surname Allan.  In the
FTDNA customer database there is a single match at 24/25 with a TUCKER - significance unknown;
This is a fascinating example of an exception to the assumption that all descendants of Norwegian
Vikings will have "son" names (patronymic) - clearly some had place names (as was predicted by my
participant).  However, evidence suggests that place names are relatively common in Orkney but not
among those whose ancestors came directly to Shetland from Norway.  Lamb reports that the Orkney
Halcros "may originally have been a part of the Caithness RATTERS".  Hopefully an individual with
the surname RATTER from Shetland will ultimately participate in the present Project so that this
hypothesis can be explored.
To Data Index
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HAY                   13 23 13 10 13 17 12 12 13 12 12 29 17 09 09 11 11 24 14 19 30 13 14 14 15
(16423)
Q;  Shetland Aboriginal - Norse: Asian; There are two Hay familes in Shetland.  One descends from
a Mainland Clan Hay Scottish family composed of a minister,  and his supposed descendnats - two
brothers, all ministers.  The other family is "local", descendants of one Hay Robertson who used  
patronymics and the name became Hayson, then Hay; The family of this participant believe that
they are of Norse descent, and that their ancestors have no biologcal connection with Clan
Hay; John HAYSON, born 1771, Delting, son of Hay ROBERTSON and Barbara
GILBERTSDAUGHTER; No matches in 20,000 customer database.  Only matches found in FTDNA
Haplogroup Database with 1 exact match from Shetland, 2 each from Shetland and Iceland at the 11 /
12 match level, and 1 each from Iceland and Norway 10 / 12;  This haplotype is, considering the
pattern of matches,  doubtless Norse Viking.  The DNA evidence supports the family tradition.  The
haplogroup is very rare, and not found (to date) anywhere but the above mentioned locations (not
Mainland Scotland).  While there is little doubt that at the time of the Viking occupation of Shetland
circa 800AD the HAY ancestor was residing in Norway, the ancient origins are not European.  
Haplogroup Q is only found among Central and East Asians as well as Native Americans.  A Central
Asian origin seems most likely, especially considering that in one classic study of Icelandic Y
chromosomes, 7% were Q.  There has never been any suggestion of any Greenland Inuit presence in
Iceland, but the Edda sagas give Asia as the ancestral homeland of a substantial contingent of the
Norse in pre - Viking times.  
HENDERSON          13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 13 13 13 29 16 09 10 11 11 25 15 19 29 15 15 15
18
(20795)
R1b;  Shetland Aboriginal - (Northern Norway);  Patronymic;  This participant's research indicates
that he is a descendant of Henrich HENDRICHSON, Grand Foud (Lawman and Chancellor)
of Shetland via a commission granted by Christian I of Denmark in 1450.  Henrich likely
returned to Denmark circa 1490 - 1492 after Shetland was signed over to Scotland in 1469.   
At a later date a descendant returned to Shetland as Laird of Buness and Gardie;  Henry
WILLIAMSON, with land holdings in the Northern Islands (e.g., Unst), died 1632, son of William
MAGNUSSON who resided in Buness and Gardie; In the YHRD database there are 576 matches to 9
markers from Portugal to Poland, in Northern Europe and Southern Europe, but also including
regions in Scandanavia.  This participant's haplotype is an exact match to the most common R1b
signature from Northern Norway.  There are 83 matches at 12/12 in the FTDNA customer database,
including three who are participants in the present study - Johnson (16911), Johnson (21823), and
Walterson (23841).  Exact matches in Haplogroup Database from Germany to Wales.  A 23/25 match
with JOHNSON (16911), which may indicate ancestry in common with this participant; and a striking
37/37 match with WALTERSON (23841) is even more indicative of a close genetic link; The extensive
study completed by the participant indicates that the sons of his ancestor, the above Henry
WILLIAMSON, one Magnus HENDERSON (HENRYSON) who departed from the patronymic naming
practice.  The son of Magnus was Gilbert HENDERSON who was born about 1670 - a very early date to
abandon patronymics - and from that point to today the surname has been HENDERSON.  One
reason for abandoning patronymics so early was the prominence of this family, which is featured in
Grants's 1893, "The County Families of the Shetland Islands".  Other data suggests a possible
"irregularity" in that the genealogy here is dependent on one female ancestor having named the
correct man as the father to her child born out of wedlock.
HARPER            13 24 16 11 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29 16 10 10 11 11 24 15 19 28 17 17 17 17
(Private)
R1b;  Orkney Scottish - Celtic / Pictish;  An occupational name at one time hereditary in the
household of great families.  Known in Scotland from the earliest days.  Possibly a translation from
Gaelic where Macchrutter means "son of the harper".  At any rate the surname is known in Orkney
from as early as 1582 in Evie.  One Thomas Harper was a servant to John Dishington, sherrif of
Orkney in 1600.  Considering the Dishington's association with Shetland, the Thomas Harper in
Garth, Dunrossness who appears in a sasine of 1615 may be the same man;  None recorded;  
Thomas HARPER, born 1764 Scousburgh, Dunrossness, son of Hynd HARPER and Janet
Gilbertsdaughter;  Very rare haplotype.  Exact 12/12 matches only in England and Scotland, and 11/12
only multiple matches include England, Scotland, France and Sweden.
HENDERSON           14 22 15 10 13 14 11 14 11 12 11 28 16 08 09 08 11 23 16 21 28 12 14
15 15
(29024)
I1a;  Shetland Aboriginal - Norse;  Patronymic;  See above, however a different version of the
origins of the family has been recorded by this participant's ancestors.  Specifically William
HENDERSON, brother of the great great great grandfather of the participant, Gilbert
HENDERSON, wrote the following.  William HENDERSON of Bardister stated that his
cousin told him that the family had in its possession a commission in the Danish language
from Christian 1st, King of Denmark, to the ancestor of the HENDERSON family, Count
HEMISON and dated 1450.  The document remained in family hands until 1792 when James
HENDERSON, Esq. of Gardie in Bressay died and it passed to his neice who in turn
conveyed it to her husband a Mr. MOUAT of Unst, who in turn either lent or gave the
ancient document to one Sir Alexander Seaton of Sweden in the early 1800s.  According to
this version Count HEMISON was commissioned Grand Foude (or Governor) and Chief
Justice of Shetland.  It was said that Count Hemison returned to Denmark when Shetland
was mortgaged to Scotland in 1468, but left behind his extensive land holdings in the hands of
one son who remained in Shetland.  This man became the progenitor of the HENDERSONS
which include this participant and 20795;  William MAGNUSSON or HENDERSON as above via
descendant William HENDERSON, born 1705, Ollabery, Northmavine; The first thing to note is that
this participant does not match HENDERSON (20795) as would be predicted based on a knowledge of
the genealogy.  He is, however a 25/25 match to JAMIESON (22730), but the relationship disappears
at the 37 marker level.  See this entry for futher information; This situation poses challenges.  It is
unclear who (if any) has the original HENDERSON signature based on the data extending back many
generations - but this particpant would appear to be the best candidate.  What makes everything
even more unusual is that HENDERSON (20795) matches two JOHNSONS and even more closely a
WALTERSON, while this participant matches a JAMIESON - yet only to the 25 marker level, not at
the higher resolution level.  Patronymics cannot be used to explain these findings since the
HENDERSON family abandoned this practice in the 1600s.
HENRY             13 24 13 10 11 14 12 12 11 13 14 29
(46976)
R1b;  Scottish Mainland - Celtic / Pictish; Patronymic.  Common surname in the Ayr and Fife
districts of Scotland.  The surname here is interchangeable with HENDRY.  In Shetland there are
two possible origins.  One is Scottish as Thomas HENDRIE was minister at Walls prior to 1616 and
his descendants used the surname HENRY.  Another family apparently arrived from the North of
England after the battle of Culloden (which is highly questionable) and the earliest spellings of the
surname was HERRIES which in turn became HARRY and then HENRY;  None reported;  John
HENRY born 1745 Gutren, Foula married to Jane ABURN, and son to William HENRY born about
1690 of Gutren; There are no matches to this haplotype in over 50,000 samples.  At the two step
mutational lever most of the matches are with Scotland and Ireland;  When a haplotype is so rare
and only 12 markers are reported it makes it difficult to make definitive statements.  The weight of
evidence however suggests that the best interpretation is a Celtic / Pictish haplotype.
HENDERSON       13 24 14 11 11 13 12 12 11 13 13 29 16 09 10 11 11 24 16 19 29 15 15 16 17
(117827)
R1b1b2; Scottish Orkney - N/A; Patronymic.  See above; N/A; Robert HENDERSON, born Ireland,
Sandwick, son of John HENDERSON and Grace HENDERSON; Only 19, 12 marker matches.  11/12
with HOSEASON.  No 25 marker matches except 22/25 with 4 from England, one from Ireland and
one from Scotland.  At 37 markers, one match, 33/37 with a HICKMAN from England; This
participant is P312+ and is awaiting the results of the deep clade SNP testing.