Secular trends in relationship as estimated by surnames: a study of a Tyneside parish

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Abstract
From the surnames of 21 132 individuals baptised in the Tyneside parish of Whickham between 1577 and 1758, the extent to which individuals of different periods bear the same surname shows (1) a coefficient of correlation of +0.93 between data on males and females; (2) the highest rates between individuals of the same 26-year period, lower between adjacent periods and still lower between periods more separated in time; (3) an apparent tendency for the closeness of genetic interrelationship to decrease from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and to level off with fluctuations through the mid-18th century. This drop was concurrent with military campaigns and epidemics which affected the parish, but preceded the industrial revolution with its possible effects on labour migrations.