Surnames T to Z - 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 Known Paternal
Ancestor; DNA Matches; Comments
WILLIAMSON   13 25 15 11 11 14 12 12 10 14 11 33 15 09 10 11 11 23 14 20 32 12 15 15 16
(7986)
R1a; Aboriginal Shetland - Norse:  Asian; Patronymic; Family tradition in two branches: the
ancestors of this family were Norwegian (Viking or post - Shetland Viking era unclear from
context).  A chart composed by Andrew Dishington Mathewson (teacher, surveyor, and
registrar) in the mid 19th Century shows the descendants of Laurence Mathewson including the
children of Gilbert Basil Williamson.  One was a son named Robert but with no further
information.  Due to circumstantial evidence it was hypothesized that the present participant's
great grandfather Robert, born 1819, Mid Yell, was the Robert Williamson shown in the chart.  
Therefore a descendant of the elder brother of the above Gilbert Basil Williamson was located
and tested (see 21885 below); Gilbert Basil WILLIAMSON, born 1781, Utrabister, Mid Yell, son of
William MATTHEWSON (and six more generations back to Thomas MATTHEWSON, born about
1600); YSTR Database: 0 / 20,000 - rarest signature yet seen.  In the FTDNA customer database there
is a 34/37 match with WILLIAMSON (21885).  A 25 / 25 match was found to BLANCHE (15588) and
BLANCE (16797) as well as BLANCE (18178).  The first two  participants are descendants of Peter
BLANCE  born 1754 of Caldback, Delting; and the third of Ludwick BLANCE who moved from the
Olnafirth area to Caldback. When upgraded to 37 markers the match fell to 33 / 37 with BLANCE
(18178) and (16797)  participants. The relationship between these two families is a as yet
undetermined.  WILLIAMSON is a Norse name with a Norse signature.  There is also a 23/25 match
with ROBERTSON (N2605) with the characteristic and extremely rare DYS389ii=33 and
YCAIIa,b=19,20.  Clearly these families were also linked but the time period cannot be derermined
with any confidence;  The hypothesis about the connection to the WILLIAMSON family known to be
living at Mid Yell where Robert WILLIAMSON was born was confirmed.  See BLANCE entries for
other information.
Project Homepage
WILSON             13 24 14 10 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29 18 09 10 10 11 25 15 19 30 13 15 17 17
(19822)
R1b1c*; Scottish Orkney - Celtic / Pictish; Patronymic (but atypical of Shetland); While it is possible
that the Wilsons of Shetland migrated directly from Fife in Scotland, a more compelling
argument can be made for an origin in nearby Orkney where the surname has been established
since at least 1492; Andrew WILSON, born 1708, Busta, Fair Isle, son of Jerome WILSON; YSTR
Database: 412 / 20,000 matches - Widely scattered throughout Western Europe; Plugging this
participant's numbers into the Oxford Ancestors database, matches occured in all countries of the
British Isles (their client base is primarily from this region), as well as Germany, Switzerland, and
Czechoslovakia.  There are 123 matches in the FTDNA customer database - including a few Wilsons.  
An examination of the match profile in the Haplogroup Database shows a pattern typically seen in
Scots - matches from Spain to Russia.  High resolution matches at 23 / 25 with a a variety of
individuals whose surnames are decidedly Scottish such as MacPherson, Sinclair, Ferguson,
MacCorkle and Stirling.  No matches at the 37 marker level; The surname Wilson likely has an origin
in Mainland Scotland and appears to have been used as a surname from at least the 1600s, long before
the Norse occupants of Shetland in the male line chose a "permanent" surname - and thus has an
entirely different origin than Williamson.  There is circumstantial evidence that would take this
participant's ancestry back to the 1500s to one Robert WILSON via a series of Jerome WILSONS.  
The participant in this instance was tested for the various markers that define the haplogroups.  The
finding of M269, and negative on markers such as S21 and S28 places him in the R1b1c* category
which is somewhat generic northern European; however the haplotype is consistent with native Pict.
To Data Index
Page
WILLIAMSON        13 22 14 10 13 14 11 14 12 12 11 28 15 08 09 08 11 22 16 20 27 12 14 15
15
(21838)
I1a;  Aboriginal Shetland - Norse:  European;  Patronymic;  ;  William WILLIAMSON, born 1794,
North Roe, Northmavine, son of John WILLIAMSON and Elizabeth ANDERSON; There were 16
matches at the 12/12 level in the FTDNA customer database.  In the Haplogroup Database the only
exact match is to someone from Sweden; and at the one step mutational level Scandanavian countries
predominate.  See 101551 for more information;  All indications point to a Norse origin.
WILLIAMSON      13 25 15 11 11 14 12 12 10 14 11 33 15 09 10 11 11 23 14 20 33 12 15 15 16
(21885)
R1a;  Aboriginal Shetland - Norse:  Asian; Patronymic;  A document apparently prepated by the
above noted Andrew Dishington Mathewson shows the ancestral connection of this participant
from Thomas Mathewson a Udaller of "Kupister" South Yell who died 1687.  This chart
applies to this participant and Williamson 7986 ; David William WILLIAMSON, born 1777,
Utrabister, Mid Yell and brother to Gilbert Basil WILLIAMSON above (7986), and son of William
MATHEWSON; Only high resolution 37 marker match at 34/37 is with WILLIAMSON (7968) above;  
This is an instance where the Project Administrator, with the guidence of the Resource Co-Ordinator,
selected this participant for testing since, if the genealogical information about 7968 above was
correct, then there would be a match between the two WILLIAMSONS.  The hypothesis has been
verified.
WILLIAMSON     13 25 16 12 11 14 12 12 10 13 11 30
(N12493)
R1a;  Aboriginal Shetland - Norse;  Patronymic;  None reported; Peter WILLIAMSON born about
1767, Walls son of William JAMIESON born about 1735 and married to Ursula IRVINE, in turn son
of James WILLIAMSON a tenant in Whiteness, Walls 1755 (died 1769); Only one 12/12 match in the
entire FTDNA database to a PRUST.  In Haplogroup Database there is only one match, to someone
from India.  At the one mutation level almost all the matches are Central Asian with the highest
number being Mongolia and India;  It will be intersting to see if other matches surface when the
number of markers are increased.  It looks at the moment that this participant is likely of the Norse
- Asian variety, which can be confirmed with the YCAIIa,b markers in the third DNA panel.
WILLIAMSON        13 22 14 10 13 14 11 14 12 12 11 28 15 08 09 08 11 22 16 20 27 12 14 15
15
(101551)
I1a:  Aboriginal Shetland - Norse: European;  Patronymic;  James WILLIAMSON, born 1762, Lie,
Olnafirth, Delting, son of William ROBERTSON and Marjory MAGNUSDAUGHTER;  The number of
exact 12/12 matches has increased dramatically since 21838 was tested and the participant matches
many in Germany, Norway, Sweden, Scotland and elsewhere.  At the 25/25 level there is only a
single match - to 21838 above - and the match holds at a higher resolution - 37/37.  There is nothing
that would point to an origin other than Norway (or other Scandianvian country);  The present
participant was admitted to the project since the circumstantial evidence strongly pointed to a
Shetland origin.  The ancestor in South Shields England (a favored destination for Shetlanders) was
one John WILLIAMSON, married there in 1856, and with his father's name recorded as Thomas
WILLIAMSON on the marriage certificate.  The hypothesis was that this John was the same
individual as John WILLIAMSON born 10 October 1833 in Lunnasting, son of Thomas
WILLIAMSON, born 1802 Olnafirth, and Philadelphia HUMPHRAY.  The Project administrator
considers that that hypothesis has been confirmed and that there is a close connection to 21838
above.  It is likely that these Northmavine and Delting families have an ancestor in common
perhaps born in the 1700s.  Hopefully via further genealogical research the specifics can be
discovered.