The Evolution and Distribution of the Surname Jak in Scotland before 1600
A surname-history paper for early Jak and Jack references in Scotland.
Family lines
Genealogy and DNA Research
Clan Jack aims to be a first port of call for Jack surname researchers around the world, helping people find useful records, compare evidence, and connect careful documentary genealogy with responsible DNA research.
DNA and Lineage Register
The register is a separate privacy-first microsite for mediated Jack-line contact requests. Clan Jack does not publish registrant lists or build a public family-tree database.
Open the DNA and Lineage Register
Start here for Jack researchers
New to Jack family research? Start with three simple steps:
- Build or check your Jack family tree using original records wherever possible.
- Add a public or shared version at FamilySearch where appropriate, so other researchers can find and improve the line without a subscription barrier.
- Join the Clan Jack DNA and Lineage Interest Register, then compare your places, dates, and surname variants with the research downloads below.
FamilySearch
Join the DNA Register
View the anonymous Register snapshot
Request a mediated research check
How Clan Jack supports researchers
Traditional genealogy remains the foundation of Jack family research. Parish registers, civil records, census entries, land documents, wills, tax records and family papers all matter. Where DNA is involved, documentary evidence still matters. DNA can support or redirect a line of enquiry, but it does not replace careful source-based genealogy.
Clan Jack does not host a public family-tree database. Instead, we encourage researchers to maintain their own properly sourced trees on platforms they trust, with FamilySearch recommended as the preferred free shared-tree option where appropriate.
We encourage Jack researchers to maintain a public or shared version of their Jack family tree at FamilySearch where appropriate, because it is free and broadly accessible. Paid platforms such as Ancestry and MyHeritage remain valuable, especially for DNA matching and private working trees, but they can involve ongoing subscription costs. The choice always remains with the individual researcher.
Free starting point: add your Jack tree to FamilySearch, join the Register, and review the shared downloads first.
Which DNA test may help?
DNA testing can help identify links between Jack families in different countries, especially when test results are paired with sourced trees and known ancestral places.
- AncestryDNA / MyHeritage: useful for cousin matching across all family lines, especially when linked to a tree.
- FamilyTreeDNA Y-DNA: useful for direct male Jack surname-line research.
- Big Y: useful for deeper branch placement and long-term Jack surname study.
- GEDmatch: optional cross-platform autosomal comparison tool; users should understand and choose their own privacy settings.
DNA can support or redirect a line of enquiry, but it does not replace careful source-based genealogy.
No one should upload raw DNA, private match lists, screenshots, passwords, health information, or living-person family trees to Clan Jack.
Priority Jack research areas
These areas are useful starting points for Jack surname research because they appear in historical records, surname-distribution work, DNA-interest discussions, or known migration patterns. They are research leads, not proof.
- Avoch / Ross & Cromarty
- Elgin / Moray
- Banffshire / Keith
- Fife / Balmerino
- Perthshire / Dunkeld / Atholl / Alyth
- Angus / Coupar Angus
- Ulster
- North America
- Australia and New Zealand
Jack surname research downloads
These downloads are research aids, not proof on their own. Please check original records where possible, keep proper citations, and be cautious about copying unsourced online trees. If you find a correction, better source, or additional Jack-related index, please let us know.
Recently added resources: Jack Retours, Scottish wills and testaments, OS Name Book references, tax-roll references, and the pre-1600 Jak/Jack surname study.
Soundex Code for Jack
A quick aid for searching Jack, Jak, Jacks and related spellings.
Scotland Wills & Testaments for JACK, JAK & JACKS
Spreadsheet index of Scottish wills and testament references.
OS Name Books: Perthshire 1859-1862 Jack references
Extracted Jack references from Perthshire Ordnance Survey Name Books.
OS Name Books: Fife & Kinross-shire 1853-1855 Jack references
Extracted Jack references from Fife and Kinross-shire Name Books.
Male Servant Tax Rolls 1777-1798 Jack references
Tax-roll references for Jack surname research in the late 18th century.
Land Tax Rolls Jack references
Land tax references that may help place Jack families geographically.
Jak, Jack & Variant eBook References
Book and ebook references for Jack, Jak and variant surname searches.
Index to Jack Retours
An index to retour references involving the Jack surname.
Hearth Tax Records 1691-1695 Jack references
Late 17th-century hearth tax references for Jack households.
Guide to Monterey Jack's Papers, USA
A guide to papers connected with David Jack of Monterey, California.
Female Servant Tax Rolls 1785-1792 Jack references
Female servant tax references useful for locating Jack households.
Farm Horse Tax Rolls 1797 Jack references
Farm horse tax entries that may support local Jack family research.
Carriage Horse Tax Rolls 1785-1798 Jack references
Carriage horse tax references for Jack surname research.
Banished Scots named Jack
References to Scots named Jack in banishment or transportation contexts.
Contribute Jack research material
If you have Jack indexes, transcriptions, old papers, regional Jack research, surname studies, record extracts, Y-DNA surname-line evidence, corrections or better references, Clan Jack would be glad to hear from you.
Contributed material may be reviewed before publication. Please do not send private or living-person material without consent. Clan Jack may summarise, index, or host suitable material for the benefit of Jack researchers.
Professional genealogy and DNA help
Clan Jack provides general guidance, shared research resources, and a DNA and Lineage Interest Register for the benefit of Jack surname researchers. It does not provide a full personal research service for every family line.
For those wanting individual help with documentary genealogy, DNA analysis, Y-DNA interpretation, unknown parentage questions, or deeper Jack-line research, David A. Jack MSc QG® offers professional genealogy services through Kiwi Lineage Finder.
Professional help is optional. The free starting point is to build your own sourced tree, use the shared resources, and join the Register if your Jack line may help wider research.
Professional research is separate from the Clan Jack Society's free shared resources and may involve fees.
Letter from William Jack, 17 March 1747
William Jack wrote from Tilbury Fort after the Battle of Culloden describing eight months and eight days at sea, severe deprivation, the death of many prisoners, and his survival after transportation from Scotland.
Source noted on the public site: Jacobite Memoirs of the Rebellion of 1745 by Right Rev. Robert Forbes, Chapter: Barbarities After the Battle of Culloden, page 299.