Of all the surnames in all the world..

[jillruss]

Has anyone else come across this?

There must be tens of thousands of surnames in the UK but this is now the third time that I've come across the same surname in different branches of my family tree (I'm ignoring Smiths/Jones).

Whatsmore, they're in the same areas as each other but (as far as I can tell) not related.

First I had Phillips in Bucks, then Bailey in Bucks and now I've got Ikin in Shrops. I was sure with an unusual name like Ikin that I would find a connection but not so far.

I also came across two twigs of Harmans in Bucks and managed to trace them back to the same grandfather. I hope they didn't know how to play the banjo!!!   

Is this unusual or par for the course?

Jill

[Gadget]

Hi Jill

I've got two different Stokes families in the same parish in Shropshire. At one stage I thought they were related - and I was my own fourth cousin -  but I slowly unravelled them. It's not nice  Their descendants married 75 years later.

Oh and I do have more than my fair share of Jones 

Gadget

[CarolBurns]

I have two Thomas families from Anglesey - both my Dad's paternal and maternal side - both start with William born within 10 years of each other and both had sons named William.
 Then both Williams (sons) married and had  children and gave them all the same names - Jane, William, Owen, Margaret, Catherine.
Then one of the Catherines married a John Williams and had my Grandmother
Then one of the William Thomas' married and had my Grandfather

So I had Thomas marrying a Williams and then a Williams marrying a Thomas!    Confused? You should have seen me when I was trying to sort it all out

Now all rellies go by their name and birth year so Willaim is William Thomas 1860 and his father is William Thomas 1817. Catherine's father is William Thomas 1841

All of them started in the same areas but by 1891 had moved to opposites ends of the island which made it a bit easier

Carol

[jillruss]

Wow, Carol, you must have had one heck of a headache after sorting all that out!

I want to be my own 4th cousin as well, Gadget!!

I suppose it's okay to marry within the same family after all that time - no danger of duelling banjos, I wouldn't have thought!

I forgot to add that I also found another Bailey line way up in North Yorkshire - so that makes 3!

Do you ever have a Walter Mitty moment and think of famous people with the same surname as the ones you've unearthed in your family tree and wonder if there's any connection?

I could be closely related to
Joshua Reynolds or
George Stubbs or
Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen  except I have absolutely no artistic flair!

Long John Silver   except I've stillgot both legs and I get sea sick!

Kathleen Ferrier  except I can't sing

David Niven  except I can't act
etc etc

Jill

[CarolBurns]

Answerign your question about "famous" rellies lets try these

William WALLACE - hubby's Great Grandad's half brother but born 1845
Robert BURNS - hubby's Grandad's brother born 1891 and also hubby's nephew born 1976
Jason DONAVON - one of hubby's cousins and definitely not the singer


He also has Tony BLAIR though not sure if he wants to admit to that one just now lol

Carol

[kerryb]

I've got three lines of Winchester in my family and I think two come from two siblings in the late 1600s.  I bet if I investigate the third one it will be from them too.

I also have 3 separate lots of Smiths, as far as I know not related!!

Kerry

[Comosus]

I have 3 Smith lines, 2 Parker lines, 2 Ward lines, 2 Allen lines.  I have several other ancestors which have the same surname.  I wouldn't say they were lines though because they're people in the 1700s who I haven't been able to trace further back with the IGI...those include another White, Parker, Smith, Street and several others.  What's more is that they're all unrelated.

Andrew

[purplemoon]

I was sure with an unusual name like Ikin that I would find a connection but not so far.

I have an Ikin in my family - Mary IKIN c.1835-1870 - but she was born, lived and died in Middlewich, Cheshire and that's about as much as I know about her! Oh, other than she married an Amos BAKER in Middlewich and they had at least five children.

It is rather a strange name though!

[jillruss]

You're right, it is a strange name. I keep expecting to find someone doing a one name study of it but haven't found one so far!

I'd found a few Ikins in Cheshire on the IGI. There are loads of different spellings of the name on the IGI, including Eakin, Iking, Eaking, and on my greatx3 grandmother Sarah's marriage IGI she's called Sarah Skin!! That took a bit of finding!

Apparently, there's also a large contingent of Ikins in Australia (or was it New Zealand?) who have all descended from a chap called Obadiah Ikin who originally came from Shropshire - so it's quite possible that your Mary Ikin's ancestors may also come from Shropshire.

Jill