most uncommon surnames in your tree

[WHS1899]

I have Impey and Cato.
Beverley

[julianb]

You can find out about the (recent) frequency of surnames at this site http://www.taliesin-arlein.net/names/search.php

My rarest is Bransden

JULIAN

[Comosus]

Surname   Count   Ranking
 BIRKHEAD    415    =13031
 SCHORAH    354    =14618
 TATTERSFIELD    336    =15152
 WOODIN    183    =22585
 VALANCE    15    =109436
CONINOR isn't on there
CRAMMACK isn't on there

[bumbelina]

I have Brothill and variants, Brothele, Brothelle etc.

I have been told it is an occupational surname, but so far, they have mostly been shopkeepers

Bumbelina

[ShaunJ]

I have Wingod which doesn't feature in the ONS database. I also have Folder ( 27 instances, rank =74851) which is a big problem to search for. Archives are full of "folders"!

[XPhile2868]

According to the Taleisin Arlein site -

COWBURN  1292  =5368
MOXHAM  1220  =5635
GODBOLD  1205  =5698
BRACEWELL  1077  =6258
HULKS  222  =19936
MACKRETH  77  =39021

no records for Couburn, Knottage, Snailom (although Snailham got 359), Unckle or Waringe.

Stephen

[SeaThreePeeO]

I don't know if this counts as uncommon because researching them has been a pain.  I have had considerable trouble with the surname Poulsum.  I never know what they're going to turn up as next!

Some I have had are Poulsom, Polsum Poulsen, Polsom, Poulsen and Poulsam

[KathMc]

I have Schmieg, which I don't think was/is too common, hailing from Germany originally. And Kochersberger, from Alsace, which started as Guggisberg and got twisted into the new name. I also have an ancestor who married a Monkmeyer. And although Heintz isn't too unusual an Alsatian name, my ggg grandfather's first name was Marzolf, which is a common surname but not common forename.

And I just checked the above link and found my Mickelwright ranks number 143,714

Kath

[Josephine]

My least common name is McGlinchey (from Ireland).

My husband's great-grandmother's surname was Salisbury.  I think there used to be lots of them around Lancashire but maybe it just felt that way when I was trying to find her in the census!   

Regards,
Josephine