Surnames K to M - Page 2:  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 (Beattie), Orkney (Lamb), Scotland (Black); Traditions; Earliest Kown Paternal
Ancestor; DNA Matches; Comments
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MOWAT               13 23 14 10 14 14 11 13 11 12 11 28 15 08 09 08 11 23 16 20 28 12 14 15 17
(16034)
I1a; Scottish Orkney - Norse: European; Black's Dictionary has a long and convoluted history of the
surname.  According to this source the name originated as "Monte Hault" (high mount) (from
Montehault in Lower Normandy near Rennes), first arrived in Wales in the time of the Normans,
then in Scotland with one "Robert de Montealto" from Wales during the reign of David 1, taking
lands in Angus.  At some point the name reached Caithness, then Orkney, then Shetland (for
example Anders Maath of Houkeland, Shetland, in 1597).  Lamb's book on Orkney family names
notes one Robert Mowat residing there in 1530.  Bettie notes that in Shetland, "the surname is also
patronymic, from the name Mouat (Maat), a diminutive of Matthew".  As an example, "Mouat
Charleson of Unst was the father of William Mouat (born 1805) and John Mouat (born 1806)".  Also,
"Andrew Mouat in Hugoland, Northmavine, first appears in the documents in 1572.  He is said to be
from Caithness";  "In the 1600s a relative arrived from Romsdal Norway and settled in the
west coast of Scotland in a place called Buckie - this north of Aberdeen.  The generations then
worked their way up the north coast, through Orkney, and on to Shetland".  The name
"Mode" is still found in Romsdal to this day; Malcolm MOWAT born 1763 who married Ann
SMITH and resided in Scousburgh, and possibly Jarlshof; See below for MOWAT match information.  
here is a 24/25 match in the FTDNA customer database - with a HAMILTON; and a number of 23/25
and 24/25 matches with those with the surname TODD - but these matches disappear at the 37
marker resolution level.  This lineage is that of the wife of USA President Abraham Lincoln.  They
have a solid genealogical trail to the Middle Ages in Angus, Scotland.  An interesting 23/25 match is
seen with two indiviuals with the surname MATES who are from France.  This may or may not point
to a Norse - Norman connection.  Turning to the Haplogroup Database is abundantly clear that due to
the DNA signature (I) and all the matches in Iceland, Russia, and all Scandanavian countries, that
the likely origin of the ancient Y Chromosome was Norway.  A match was found with a Mowat of
Orkney included in a private database;  The DNA finding  finding supports the tradition of a Norse
connection via the Northern Scotland, with a subsequent migration to Orkney and then to Shetland.  
What the DNA cannot say, however, is whether the first Mowat to Scotland came in 1600 or so (which,
historically, is unlikely), via the traditional Norman affiliation, or via the Norse Viking settlements in
the North of Scotland dating back to the 800s.
MOODIE             13 26 15 10 11 14 12 12 10 14 11 30 15 09 10 11 11 (34) 14 20 33 13 15 15 15
(18672)
R1a;  Aboriginal Orkney - Norse:  European; Supposedly the name in Old English means "Brave", but
the Shetland surname with this spelling may only be a coincidence.  It could well be a variant of the
Norse "Mode" from which it has been hypothesized that the surname Mowat emerged.  A name found
commonly in Orkney - one William Moodie being recorded there in 1492.  In Shetland the first
recorded instance is a Jhone Mude who was a witness to the will of Sir David Sinclair in 1506; None
reported; William James MOODIE, born 1763, residing at Moustoft, Weisdale durng the 1841 census,
and married to Isabella MORRISON; A rare haplotype with no matches in the FTDNA Customer
Database.  In the Haplogroup Database, one 11 / 12 match with someone from Shetland; and at the
two step mutation 4 matches from India, and one each from Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Shetland,
Sweden, Uzbekistan, and Holland (Askenazi - Levite).  This profile is typical for R1a haplotypes, and in
Britian almost invariably means Norse (from Norway); This is another instance where the spelling of
the surname in Shetland today is probably a reflection of Scottish ministers and officials trying to
make sense of a Norse name and finding "the best fit".  The marker above in brackets is a true value
- actually off the charts.  The Administrator called the President of FTDNA who indicated that this
value (which cannot be explained by known genetic principles) is however valid, and has only ever
been seen in 2 of 10,000 R1a world - wide.  It will certainly make it easier to spot someone who is kin
to the participant.
MANN             14 22 15 10 13 14 11 14 11 12 11 29               
(21826)
I1a; Aboriginal Orkney - Norse: European; Unknown derivation.  It is possible that it could be
German via the Hanseatic League, but is more likely a diminuitive form of the popular name
Magnus, or a contraction of the place name Manclett in South Walls, Orkney.  A David Man,
Skeabrae, Sandwick, Orkney was recorded in 1574.  In Shetland Alexander Mann was in
Northmavine in 1653; None recorded;  James MANN, born 1760, West Sandwick, Yell, son of
Thomas MANN and Barbara THOMASDAUGHTER; No matches in the FTDNA customer database.  In
Haplogroup Database the one step mutation matches include Germany and Sweden, with two from
Norway at the two step mutation level;  A rare Norse signature.
MOAR              13 24 14 10 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30
(21828)
R1b;  Orkney Aboriginal - Celtic / Pictish;  An Orkney place name - from Mowir in North Sandwick.  
Could also be a variant of the Scottish names Moore or Muir.  A Thomas Moar was recorded in
Marwick, Birsay, Orkney in 1492.  Beattie notes that in Shetland, "William Moir, a smith, was in
Tingwall in 1604; Jehrome Mure in Basta, Yell in 1680 and Robert More was in Gunnister, Unst in
1715";  None recorded;  George MOAR, born before 1730 Unst, died Backhouse, Cullivoe, North
Yell, son of Robert MOAR; In YHRD database 16 matches to 9 markers from Portugal to Lithuania.  
17 exact, 12/12 matches in FTDNA customer database, including GOUDIE (10175).  In FTDNA
Haplogroup Database preponderance of Ireland and Scotland matches ; It will be important to
research GOUDIE match but more markers are needed before any conclusions can be offered.
MATTHEWSON  13 24 15 11 11 14 12 12 10 14 11 31 15 09 10 11 11 23 14 20 32 12 15 15 16
(27809)
R1a;  Aboriginal Shetland - Norse: Asian;  Patronymic;  Tradition and the family charts of the
East Yell teacher, surveyor and registrar Andrew Dishington Mathewson predicts that this
participant will match Williamson (7968) and (21885); James MATHEWSON, born 1774,
Kettlester, South Yell, son of Magnus MATHEWSON of Burravoe, South Yell and Chrisina
WILLIAMSON; The 12/12 matches in the FTDNA customer database are with a MacDonald and a
Perkins (a common finding with Shetland R1a signatures and reflecting the so - called "Somerled
Signature").  There are 11/12 matches with a Jamieson (21824) and Robertson (22714) in the present
project.  At the 37 marker level the participant matches both JAMIESON (9828) and ROBERTSON
(22714) 33/37 strongly suggesting an ancestor in common.  It is clear that the participant does not
match the two WILLIAMSONS, and thus the hypothesis of an ancestor in common based on the 19th
Century genealogy was not supported.  This is not entirely surprising since it appears that a local
historian and former pupil of the above named Mathewson, Lawrence Williamson of Mid Yell, wrote
on the chart that the connection could not be possible (due probably to the error in patronymics and
the timing it appears that there were two generations that were not accounted for).
MOWAT              13 23 14 10 14 14 11 13 11 12 11 28 15 08 09 08 11 23 16 20 28 12 14 15 16
(34100)
I1a; Scottish Orkney - Norse: European; See above; None reported; Robert MOUAT, born 1784,
Norwick, Northmavine, son of George MOUAT and Marion ROBERTSON; To date an exact match
with 16034 at 12/12; 24/25; and drops to 31/37.  There are two other participants who are also
descendants ot the above George and the present participant matches 51907 at 37/37 and 57418 at
34/37 with mutations only at the "fastest moving" markers.  See the Excel data sheet for specifics.  
See above 16034 for information on other matches.  What is noteworthy is that at the 25 marker
level there are 20 matches with a variety of surnames.  However at the 37 marker level this
participant matches two TODD 34/37, and a TODD and a HAMILTON at 33/37.  Most important is the
37/37 match with a MOWAT (45045) whose ancestor John MOWAT was born in Caithness (Mainland
Scotland) in 1771.  It is ironic that this particpant matches someone of the same surname from the
Mainland more closely than one from Shetland; Although there is no documented ancestor in
common for this participant with MOWAT 16034, and the ancestral lines are from regions in
Shetland that are far removed from each other,  clearly their DNA signatures indicate ancestry in
common.  This scenario also lends credence to the belief that what we are seeing here is the actual
signature of the MOWATs of Caithness with this partipant's motif of scores being closer to the
Mainland Mowat than 16034.  It is entirely unclear how the TODD and HAMILTON individuals fit
into the picture and when their most recent common ancestor with the MOWATS lived.
MONCRIEFF       13 25 14 11 11 13 12 12 12 13 15 25 16 09 10 11 11 25 15 18 30 15 16 16 17
(39590)
R1b1c7;  Scottish Orkney:  NW Irish - Ui Neill;  A Scottish place name from the Parish of Dunbarny,
near Perth.  Black notes that "the surname was prominent in the Orkney records" in the middle of
the 16th Century.  Beattie places the earliest known Moncrieff in Shetland in 1544 when one Magnus
Makrythe was a witness to a conveyance of land in Unst.  Furthermore a Thomas Moncrieff was
residing in Easter Skeld in 1625; Beattie also reports that a tradition pertains to one branch of
the family who claim that the first Moncrieff in Shetland arrived to assume the role of tutor to
the Mitchell family;  John MONCRIEFF born about 1730 and died in Sandhoulland, Sandsting,
married to Catherine MOODIE, and whose father was Laurence MONCRIEFF;  The DNA signature of
this participant is a classic example of the newly discovered Ui Neill Northwest Irish motif.  Ui Neill of
the Nine Hostages being a famous figure in Irish history.  His matches in the FTDNA database are
almost entirely to those from Ireland and to a lesser degree Scotland and who are Haplogroup R1b1c7
since recently the Y-SNP marker for this DNA signature, M222, has been located.  What is unknown
is when the ancestor left Ireland but during the Dark Ages and Medieval times there were large folk
movements from Ireland as Scotti and Dalriata - but there is nothing in the DNA findings that would
offer a precise time line.  The one 37/37 match is from Scotland suggesting a long residency here
after leaving Ireland;  This participant, unsurprisingly, tested positive for M222.