The Wilson Surname Project was founded to sort out the many different lineages found among those with this surname. Initial results have revealed a complex set of families. The surname Wilson is about 700 years old and appears to have been independently adopted numerous times by individuals or family groups who otherwise have no close patrilineal relationship. It cannot be the case that there was a single Wilson centuries ago from whom all modern Wilsons descend. There are dozens of different lines represented among those who carry the surname. It is already possible to distinguish some English Wilsons from those whose roots lie in Scotland or Ireland. Haplogroup distinctions may point to pre-surname ancestry for different Wilson lines among Vikings, Angles, Saxons, Celts -- even individuals with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean roots who may have come to the British Isles during the Roman period. This is a "bare bones" website, and a full display of different family groups awaits further study.