Surname Distribution Site

Historians often use census data to trace ethnic immigration and migration patterns throughout U.S. history.  The following hotlink takes you to an on-line database that contains the 50,000 most common surnames in the U.S. in the censuses of 1850, 1880, 1920, and 1990.  Using what you have learned about ethinic immigration and migration in the U.S., try the following tasks and explain why you suspect that you go the results you did. http://www.hamrick.com/names/

1) Lu is a fairly common Chinese name in the U.S. Try the name "Lu" in all four censuses.  What were your results?  Why do you think this is the case?

2) Try the same experiment for an Italian ethnic name such as Martini.  What were your results?  What do these results suggest about Italian immigration and migration in the U.S.?

3) Try your own name in the database.  What were the results?

4) Use the Scots Irish name Bilbrey?  What was the result?  Any speculation as to why?

5) Try a German name such as Schrader.

6) Try a Jewish name such as Stein.