Surnames K to M - 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
                       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
Name - Shetland (Beatttie), Orkney (Lamb), Scotland (Black); Traditions; Earliest Kown Paternal
Ancestor; DNA Matches; Comments
LAURENSON        13 23 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 13 14 29 18 09 10 11 11 26 15 20 29 15 16 16 17
(10545)
R1b1c; Shetland Aboriginal - (Germanic / Scandanavian); Patronymic; Tradition has it that an Eirik,
birth date unknown, had a son Laurence Eirickson who married Margaret Halcro (Orkney
connection and anecdotally descended from a son [Haucrow] of King Sveirrir), in 1770.  The
name Eirick / Eirickson are apparetly rare in Shetland, and it is likely that the Eirickson noted
circa 1619 as being of Breck in Delting may be linked; Eirick LAURENSON, born 1774, son of
Laurence EIRCKSON, born before 1750, probably Cunningsburgh and Margaret HALCROW; YSTR
Database: 38 / 20,000 matches - North - Central and Eastern Europe; participant's Y - signature,
although the ubiquitous R1b, is very rare.  No matches at all in the FTDNA 100,000 or so customer
base 12/12.  Looking at the Haplogroup database the exact 12/12 matches cluster in and around
Denmark; It is always a challenge to make any sort of country of origin assignment for anyone with a
R1b haplotype.  After examining hundreds of match profiles this one seems relatively clear -
Denmark.  Although Shetland's main ties were with Norway (rather than Sweden and Denmark),
individuals of all Scandanavian nations were known to frequent her shores.  Some of the Danish ties
may be via the Royal House of Denmark (when Norway and Denmark were one kingdom).  It is
somewhat surprising that the participant was negative for both S21 and S28 which are Germanic
markers.
LEASK                 13 23 14 11 11 14 12 12 11 13 13 29 19 09 10 11 11 24 16 19 28 15 15 17 18
(11104)
R1b1c9; Scottish Orkney - Germanic / Scandanavian;  "From the old lands of Leask, now Pitlurg, in
the parish of Slains, Aberdeenshire".  There was a William de LASK residing in Aberdeenshire in
1380.  "People of this name early migrated to the Orkneys, and James of Lask is recorded there as a
'Lawman' in 1438.  Beattie reports that, "Richard Lesk who was the foud of Shetland appears in 1506
but the family had been associated with the isles since the 14th century"; It is believed that the
Leasks of Shetland descend from Richard Lask who emigrated from Scotland to Orkney in
1446.  There is mention of one Eric Laesk, supposed Crown Chamberlain to his kinsman the
King of Denmark.  It has further been reported that Sir Brian Chalmers Leask of Aglath and
backed up by Sir J. Sinclair claims that a certain "Uthel Book" contains evidence that the
Leasks owned parcels of land in Papa Westray, Orkney,  in 1084 and also lands on the
Mainland.  There is too much information in these documents to cite here, however one quote
may be of some interest - "from 1460 - 1470 William de Lask acts as Crown Chamberlain for
the King of Denmark in Papa Westray and is stated as a descendant of the Danish Royal line".  
This work has, however, been challenged as to its accuracy; James LEASK, born 1767, Sandwick,
son of John LEASK born 1741 and Marjory BLACK; YHRD Database: 265 / 22,000 matches - scattered
widely across Europe; this participant has 25 exact 12/12 matches in the customer database of FTDNA.  
Most of these 25 surnames appear to be of English or Danish (e.g., Nielsen) origin (but this database is
skewed toward the British Isles).  Looking at the haplogroup databse, exact 12/12 matches are with
individuals from Denmark, England and Germany.  In conducting his spin off LEASK DNA Project, the
participant found a Leask whose roots go to Aberdeen and they match 12 / 12, 24/25, and 33/37.  Other
matches: see below; In addition to the origin proposed above, the Y - signature could be Norman, but
Danish Viking not likely Breton or Frank.  This participant has started a Leask surname project and
soon there should be evidence as to whether the Leasks from the Scottish Mainland have the same
Y-DNA as those from Shetland.  This has already proved to be successful.  It is hoped that someday
there will be DNA evidence for the LAESK family of Denmark since, rather than the proposal of a
Scottish Mainland connection, due to the family traditions, we cannot yet rule out a direct link to
Denmark for the Leasks of Shetland (and presumably Orkney).  Lamb has stated that the LEASK
family may have been in Orkney since very early times since one Thomas LEASK was a resident of
Orkney in 1391.  See www.clan-leask.us for further information on the "Uthel Book controversy", and
this family.  The S21+ finding supports a Scandinavian or Northern Germanic link.
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LAURENSON        13 23 14 12 11 14 12 12 14 13 13 29 18 09 10 11 11 26 15 20 30 15 16 17 17
(19078)
R1b1c;  Shetland Aboriginal - (Germanic / Scandinavian); Patronymic; This participant has an
inherited disorder Thalasemic minor, which is typically found in people who come from the
Meditteranean.  He wonders whether there is an association with his Y-DNA signature; Andrew
LAURENSON, born 1796, Unst, son of Laurence LAURENSON and Jean BRUCE; The Y-DNA
signature is very rare, such that here are no exact or one step mutational matches in the 100,000
FTDNA customer database.  In the Haplogroup Database, matches occur only from the two step
mutation level. Only high resolution match 33/37 with NICHOLSON  (21693).  See entry for this
participant for rationale for assigning origin; The genetic anemia problem is unlikely to be linked to
the Y-DNA signature (but rather one of the autosomes).  The "match" in Italy is likely random.   The
match with NICHOLSON is not random, and reflects a genealogical link.  The negative findings on
markers S21 and S28 does not support but does not refute a Norse connection.
LAURENSON        14 22 15 10 14 14 11 14 11 12 11 28 16 08 09 08 11 23 16 21 28 12 14 15 15
(19652)
I1a;  Shetland Aboriginal - Norse:  European; There are two family traditons to consider.  The
first is that James LAURENSON and his father Laurence JAMESON were were cast from a
Norwegian boat shipwrecked off Walls, and that Laurence came to West Burrafirth as a
servant to the Doull family.  A separate tradition has Laurence HERCULSON of the Faroe
Islands as the ancestor to this family;  James LAURENSON, born 1757, son of Laurence JAMESON
of West Burrafirth, Aithsting;  There is one 12/12 match, with a FULGHUM, in the FTDNA customer
database.  There are potentially significant high resolution matches at 23/25 with JAMIESON (22737),
and with HENDERSON (29024) - but these reduce to for example 32/37 at the 37 marker level.  
Considering that the database contains the signatures of individuals from many countries or regions,
the fact that the only two high resolution matches are in Shetland is noteworthy and likely suggests a
distant relationship.  Virtually all of the matches in the 12 marker Haplogroup Database are from
Norway (most matches) or nearby countries.  Considering the above tradition, it is interesting that
one of the matches is with an individual from The Faroe Islands (Nolstoy);  A match with someone
from the Faroe Islands (not seen with other participants to date) may be taken as tentative support
that the participant's ancestors may have originated in that location.  Unfortunately the database does
not have 25 marker haplotypes so this will remain an open question.
MAIL            13 24 14 11 11 11 12 12 11 13 13 29
(40299)
R1b1c10;  Aboriginal - Orkney: Norse;  In Lamb's book there is no indication of the surname MAIL
being in Orkney, but MEIL is apparently derives from Meall, "the old name of Graemeshall in Holm.  
The name was apparently common at one time in Sanday where the name became corrupted to
MILNE.  Beattie says that MAIL or MEAL is an "Orcadian surname from Meall, the old name for
Graemeshall. Also Laurence MEAL was recorded in Dunrossness in 1674;  The tradition in the
participant's family is that the earliest ancestor in Shetland, John MAIL born before 1710,
came from Orkney "as Master of a sloop"; Hector MAIL born before 1735, Shetland ( son of
above John MAIL), who married Isobel MARWICK and resided in Scatness, Dunrossness;  Only 6
matches at 12/12 in FTDNA 40,000 plus database.  The exact matches in the FTDNA database are from
countries from France to Macedonia and particularly Greece - the distribution of S28+;  The S28+
finding suggests a link with the Vestfold area of Norway (where S28+ is found) and supports that
hypothesis that the surname is aboriginal to Orkney.
LAURENSON             13 23 13 10 13 17 12 12 12 12 12 29
(N5430)
Q; Aboriginal Shetland - Norse:  Asian;  Patronymic;  None recorded;  Laurence LAURENSON,
born 1776, Quoys, Catfirth, Nesting, son of Laurence DEMPSTER and Catherine DEMPSTER;  Three
exact matches in the FTDNA Database - with a Crosser, a Pearson; and an 11/12 match with HAY
(16423).  In the Haplogroup Database there are 2 exact matches with individuals from Shetland, and
an 11/12 match with one person each from Shetland and Norway.  At the 4 step mutational level (only
considered due to the rarity of the haplotype), there is a match with someone from Uzbekistan.  In
the REO Database there are also exact matches with two from England and one from Germany, and
one step mutations include two from Sweden ;  In Shetland the surname DEMPSTER is patronymic
and according to Beattie, "The Laurenson family of Nesting is descended from this family".  In
effect, the surname could have been DEMPSTERSON but this version has not been recorded.  The
earliest family member may have been on Charles DEMPSTER who was a reader in Aithsting in
1582.  Also, Margaret Williamsdaughter, wife of William DEMPSTER in Skellingsta, Nesting died in
March 1628.  It is believed that at some point the family reverted to using a patronymic naming
practice.  Clearly this haplotype, which seems to be the Shetland, Norway and Sweden variety is
Viking and likely originated in Central Asia years earlier.
LEASK        13 23 14 11 11 13 12 12 11 13 14 27 18 09 10 11 11 25 15 19 29 15 15 17 17
(32539)
R1b;  Scottish - Orkney:  Unassigned;  See above;  None recorded; N/A; An extremely rare R1b
haplotype.  No exact matches anywhere.  11/12 mtches with a LUSK and a LISK, and 23/25 with a
LUSK but no other matches at all.  Few and very scattered 11/12 matches in the Recent Ethnic
Origins Database;  It appears that there are two entirely unrelated LEASK lineages, found both on
the Scottish Mainland and in Shetland.  Perhaps it will be necessary to use terms such as Group 1 for
11104 and those who match; and Group 2 for the present participant and those who match.
LEISK         13 23 14 11 11 14 12 12 11 13 13 29 18 09 10 11 11 24 16 19 28 15 15 17 18
(40994)
R1b1c9;  Scottish - Orkney:  Germanic / Scandanavian;  See above;  None recorded;  Henry LEASK,
born Sandwick, circa 1789, son of George LEASK, born possibly on St. Ninian's Isle after 1750; 12/12
matches with other LEASKS including 11104 above, a LEASK from the Scottish Mainland, and two
LISKs of unknown origin.  At the higher resolution level this participant is a 34/37 match with 11104
above and with the LEASK from the Mainland; it seems apparent that the LEASKs of whatever
spelling appear to, despite the separation of possibly many hundreds of years, show very mutations in
their Y - line making it very difficult to pin down any sort of most recent common ancestor.  This is
clearly a LEASK Group 1 signature, and the above 12 markers epitomize it.