The genetic structure of English villages: surname diversity changes between 1976 and 1997.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the change in the coefficient of relationship by isonymy (Ri) over a 21-year period.


METHODS
Ri was calculated from the surnames of males in the registers of electors for 15 villages near Oxford in 1976 and again in 1997. The within-residence component reflected the number of adult men of the same surname resident at the same address while the between-resident component of Ri was calculated by counting only one name of any surname at each address listed in the registers.


RESULTS
Ri tended to decrease during the 21-year-period in 14 of the 15 villages and the between-resident component of Ri also tended to decrease in 14 of the villages. The within-residence component decreased in a statistically non-significant proportion (11 of the 15 villages).


CONCLUSIONS
This study, in keeping with some but not all other surveys, showed that there was a tendency for random isonymy to decline in the 20th century. The reduction in the between-residence component can be accounted for by migration into the villages.
Lasker
G W
GW
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA.
Mascie-Taylor
C G
CG
D000328:Adult; D004739:England / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D010375:Pedigree