The University of Leicester are looking for men who have old local surnames from the north of England as part of a study to investigate whether there are traces of Viking genes in the modern-day population.

They have a big list of surnames they are interested in and they want 1 man for each surname. They already have over 2000 names but there are quite a few left.

The full list of surnames is too big to post here and it will probably be changing all the time as people sign up so you need to go to their website at http://leicestersurnamesproject.org.uk/ to check if you can join.

Sadly my surname isn't one of them.

To take part you have to be a man with one of the surnames on the list and your father's father must have been born in the north of England (Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham or Northumberland)

Participants will be provided with a summary of the results, designed for a layperson, at the end of the study in 2013. In addition we will provide a copy of each participant's Y chromosome genetic fingerprint and an explanation sheet designed for the layperson.
I think it's fascinating.



Mike