A review of name-based ethnicity classification methods and their potential in population studies

Several approaches have been proposed to classify populations into ethnic groups using people's names, as an alternative to ethnicity self-identification information when this is not available. These methodologies have been developed, primarily in the public health and population genetics literature in different countries, in isolation from and with little participation from demographers or social scientists. The objective of this paper is to bring together these isolated efforts and provide a coherent comparison, a common methodology and terminology in order to foster new research and applications in this promising and multidisciplinary field. A systematic review has been conducted of the most representative studies that develop new name-based ethnicity classifications, extracting methodological commonalities, achievements and shortcomings; 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and all followed a very similar methodology to create a name reference list with which to classify populations into a few most common ethnic groups. The different classifications' sensitivity varies between 0.67 and 0.95, their specificity between 0.80 and 1, their positive predicted value between 0.70 and 0.96, and their negative predicted value between 0.96 and 1. Name-based ethnicity classification systems have a great potential to overcome data scarcity issues in a wide variety of key topics in population studies, as is proved by the 13 papers analysed. Their current limitations are mainly due to a restricted number of names and a partial spatio-temporal coverage of the reference population data-sets used to produce name reference lists. Improved classifications with extensive population coverage and higher classification accuracy levels will be achieved by using population registers with wider spatio-temporal coverage. Furthermore, there is a requirement for such new classifications to include all of the potential ethnic groups present in a society, and not just one or a few of them. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Forenames and Surnames in Spain in 2004

This paper quantifies the corpus of forenames and surnames in Spain in 2004 using the telephone directory. It describes their frequency patterns, major measurable characteristics, and gives some geographical distributions, international comparisons, and historical explanations. The research presented here is set in a context of a broader study of the quantitative properties of the corpus of personal names in several countries undertaken by Tucker. Amongst the most significant findings are a much more highly skewed distribution towards the most popular surnames than in other countries, the permanence of language regions since the Middle Ages, and important differences in top Hispanic names frequencies between five countries across the Atlantic. It is also suggested that the innovative techniques presented here, combining geographical and statistical analysis of names and their language of origin, opens up enormous possibilities for multidisciplinary work on onomastics

Choice and the composition of general practice patient registers

Choice of general practice (GP) in the National Health Service (NHS), the UKs universal healthcare service, is a core element in the current trajectory of NHS policy. This paper uses an accessibility-based approach to investigate the pattern of patient choice that exists for GPs in the London Borough of Southwark. Using a spatial model of GP accessibility it is shown that particular population groups make non-accessibility based decisions when choosing a GP. These patterns are assessed by considering differences in the composition of GP patient registers between the current patient register, and a modelled patient register configured for optimal access to GPs. The patient population is classified in two ways for the purpose of this analysis: by geodemographic group, and by ethnicity. The paper considers choice in healthcare for intra-urban areas, focusing on the role of accessibility and equity

The cultural, ethnic and linguistic classification of populations and neighbourhoods using personal names

There are growing needs to understand the nature and detailed composition of ethnicgroups in today?s increasingly multicultural societies. Ethnicity classifications areoften hotly contested, but still greater problems arise from the quality and availabilityof classifications, with knock on consequences for our ability meaningfully tosubdivide populations. Name analysis and classification has been proposed as oneefficient method of achieving such subdivisions in the absence of ethnicity data, andmay be especially pertinent to public health and demographic applications. However,previous approaches to name analysis have been designed to identify one or a smallnumber of ethnic minorities, and not complete populations.This working paper presents a new methodology to classify the UK population andneighbourhoods into groups of common origin using surnames and forenames. Itproposes a new ontology of ethnicity that combines some of its multidimensionalfacets; language, religion, geographical region, and culture. It uses data collected atvery fine temporal and spatial scales, and made available, subject to safeguards, at thelevel of the individual. Such individuals are classified into 185 independentlyassigned categories of Cultural Ethnic and Linguistic (CEL) groups, based on theprobable origins of names. We include a justification for the need of classifyingethnicity, a proposed CEL taxonomy, a description of how the CEL classification wasbuilt and applied, a preliminary external validation, and some examples of current andpotential applications

Family names as indicators of Britain’s changing regional geography

In recent years the geography of surnames has become increasingly researched in genetics, epidemiology, linguistics and geography. Surnames provide a useful data source for the analysis of population structure, migrations, genetic relationships and levels of cultural diffusion and interaction between communities. The Worldnames database (www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames) of 300 million people from 26 countries georeferenced in many cases to the equivalent of UK Postcode level provides a rich source of surname data. This work has focused on the UK component of this dataset, that is the 2001 Enhanced Electoral Role, georeferenced to Output Area level. Exploratory analysis of the distribution of surnames across the UK shows that clear regions exist, such as Cornwall, Central Wales and Scotland, in agreement with anecdotal evidence. This study is concerned with applying a wide range of methods to the UK dataset to test their sensitivity and consistency to surname regions. Methods used thus far are hierarchical and non-hierarchical clustering, barrier algorithms, such as the Monmonier Algorithm, and Multidimensional Scaling. These, to varying degrees, have highlighted the regionality of UK surnames and provide strong foundations to future work and refinement in the UK context. Establishing a firm methodology has enabled comparisons to be made with data from the Great British 1881 census, developing insights into population movements from within and outside Great Britain

ac-driven Brownian motors: a Fokker-Planck treatment

We consider a primary model of ac-driven Brownian motors, i.e., a classical particle placed in a spatial-time periodic potential and coupled to a heat bath. The effects of fluctuations and dissipations are studied by a time-dependent Fokker-Planck equation. The approach allows us to map the original stochastic problem onto a system of ordinary linear algebraic equations. The solution of the system provides complete information about ratchet transport, avoiding such disadvantages of direct stochastic calculations as long transients and large statistical fluctuations. The Fokker-Planck approach to dynamical ratchets is instructive and opens the space for further generalizations

Segregación residencial de minorías étnicas y el análisis geográfico del origen de nombres y apellidos / Residential segregation of ethnic minorities and geographic analysis of name origins

El estudio geodemográfico de la composición y distribución de comunidades de minorías étnicas o extranjeros se ha convertido en una necesidad prioritaria para las autoridades públicas en los principales países o regiones receptoras. Esta comunicación presenta una nueva metodología, inicialmente desarrollada para el Reino Unido, que permite clasificar a la población en grupos étnicos de acuerdo con el origen geográfico, lingüístico, religioso o cultural de sus nombres y apellidos (origen étnico). Este método permite la actualización continua de datos sobre el origen étnico de la población y una mayor resolución nominal y espacial que el Censo. Se presentan los resultados de la aplicación de dicha metodología al estudio de la distribución geográfica y segregación residencial de poblaciones de minorías étnicas en España, utilizando un directorio telefónico como registro de nombres de la población total. Se utilizan Sistemas de Información Geográfica a una escala nacional y regional para medir la desigual distribución espacial de dichas minorías, indicando las limitaciones y potencial de este método. Abstract in English: The geodemographic study of the composition and distribution of ethnic minority communities has turned into a high priority need for public authorities in the main immigration countries and regions. This paper presents a new methodology, originally developed for the United Kingdom, that allows the classification of a population in ethnic groups according to the geographic, linguistic, religious or cultural origin of their surnames and forenames (ethnic origin). This method offers several advantages over traditional statistical sources currently available, such as the Census of Population, amongst them, a continuous update frequency and a greater nominal and spatial resolution. The paper applies this methodology to the geodemographic study of the distribution of ethnic minorities and residential segregation in Spain, using a telephone directory as a name register of the total population. It uses Geographic Information Systems at a national and regional scales of analysis to measure the unequal spatial distribution of ethnic minorities, pointing out to the limitations and future potential of this method