Fun maps! (Surname distribution)

I just came across a site that’ll show you how names are distributed in Germany (by district), as well as which districts have the most bearers of that name.

See, for example, “Newton”, where my family forms 40% of the “most common given names for this surname” list :)

Or, for a more realistic example, have a look at “Meyer”, which shows that the name is most common in the north-west, while the spelling “Meier” has three main pockets: north-west, south-west, and south-east. “Maier”, by contrast, is a very southern name, and “Mair” even more so.

They also have maps for other countries, including Canada, the US, and the UK. (Entering a garbage name gives you a list of country-specific sister sites.)

Fun stuff!

Simplified Greek orthography

Nick Nicholas has a blog post on the reformed orthography of Greek that was in use in the Soviet Union during the “Springtime of the Nationalities”, and includes a text written in this reformed orthography. (In Demotic much as you might find it in Greece, rather than in Pontic or Mariupolitan.)