Census Surname Statistics
The Surname Statistics page displays all of the surnames that appear in the requested portion of the requested census that match the pattern requested by the Surname parameter. The displayed table lists each surname and how many individuals in the selected portion of the census have that surname. The surname itself a link to a page listing individuals with that surname.
The surnames are displayed in columns so that more names can be displayed on the page. By default 3 columns are displayed, however a parameter "columns=n" can be passed to the script to change this. By default 20 rows of surnames are displayed, although this can be changed by passing the "count=n" parameter to this script. If there are more than (count * columns) matching surnames then forward and backward hyperlinks are provided above and below the displayed names to permit browsing through the set of names. Just above the table a line displays information on the number of surnames displayed on this page, the position within the total result set, and the total number of surnames that match the pattern.
The selection of surnames displayed is controlled by the "Surname=pattern" parameter. This is typically a caret (^) followed by the first letter or letters of the surnames to be included. For example "Surname=^Mc" displays surnames starting with "Mc". The script also accepts a parameter value ending with a dollar sign ($). This matches surnames ending with the preceding string. For example "Surname=ell$" matches surnames ending with "ell" such as Campbell. If the parameter neither begins with a caret nor ends with a dollar sign, then names containing the parameter value are included. For example "Surname=ack" matches surnames that contain the string "ack" such as "Black" or "Jackson".
