Last week, when I launched this One-Name Studies and surname research series I mentioned the website Surname Profiler and included the map which detailed the occurrences relating to the surname of Orlando.

As I was writing that post, which you can read here I noticed that there appeared to be instance of the surname in India, which I can only assume that I had overlooked previously.

The region highlighted is Maharastra and this is a great example of what I said yesterday when I commented that a map can prompt thought, discussion and research.

Maharastra came under British rule from 1818, first under East India Company and then from 1858, the Crown. Not getting very far, I turned to FamilySearch

Searching for Orlando in India revealed four results, one Orlando which was a death in 1869 in Barrackpore, Bengal, India,  two of the results related to the surname of Orland which I discounted and the other Urlando which I find curious, for no particular reason.

I then put the surname of Urlando through the map at Surname Profiler and was surprised at the results.

Low results in Australia, United States, Europe, India and China, Low results in Canada, but more than the United States, and Italy had a high concentration.

From just this one action of looking at the frequency of the surname, I have found an instance of the surname in India, been surprised by another surname, which may or not be a variant, revisited the map for the output of the surprise surname. I have a hunch that I might explore the surprise surname a little more and explore records in China. Not to mention I still need to explore the Orlando & Italian connection to Maharastra.

With a One-Name study, you need never be genealogically bored again!

More details and information is covered in the Pharos Introduction to One-Name Studies course.