tracing surnames with different spellings

[sailortats]

In an effort to do as Steve has asked us to do in the "Panache" thread I am starting this thread about spelling of surnames in the past.
I spell my last name Payton as did my father and his father also. However in tracing the name back further I have found the name spelled as Peyton, Paton, and Patten.
I have been told that the name originated in the Viking settlements in Normandy and then went to England with William the Conqueror. It appears that it was originally spelled Paton but as we have discussed in the other thread in the days gone by there was no firm spelling of names. Everyone spelled it the way they heard it pronounced. It is no wonder that we have a very hard time tracing our family history.

[David Thorpe]

My great grandmother added the "e" to "Thorpe" because she thought it more "dignified".

[Cecil]

I have seen my on surname Crews spelled a few ways myself. When it came to Virginia in 1640 it was Spelled Crew the someone added the S.

[Chas]

So many 'Smiths' in the UK became Smyth and Smythe, just for that reason.

I often use the expression "Spelling is an adventure - not a science!"

Often, regional differences account for spelling changes. During the Clearances a large family of MacDonalds went south to England looking for food and work. They found both and settled down. But within days rather than weeks they called themselves Donaldsons, rather than MacDonalds - It sounded more English!

Regards

Chas

[PEEDYC]

Try having a fairly unusual surname like mine. CORRANCE You get as many variations as there are letters in it from Krantz to Korrans. There is a famous photographer from Edinburgh with the same surname (No relation as far as I can establish) but he pronounces his differently like Sam Torrance the golfer. Once when in France my parents booked into a Hotel and when they got their bill someone had put an acute above the last e (Don't know how to do it in this forum) We can trace the name back to 1590 in England.

[Mikilt]

I have the same issue with my surname, Malone. It's widely known as an Irish name, but the variations include Malon, Mallon, Melone, etc. Though I grew up believing that I was pure Irish (if there is such a thing), I discovered that somewhere over 5% of Scotland's Dundee City has my surname. I have yet to trace any cousins there and I have uncovered no clan affiliations. Nevertheless I claim Scottish heritage.

[BCAC]

Try having a fairly unusual surname like mine. CORRANCE You get as many variations as there are letters in it from Krantz to Korrans. There is a famous photographer from Edinburgh with the same surname (No relation as far as I can establish) but he pronounces his differently like Sam Torrance the golfer. Once when in France my parents booked into a Hotel and when they got their bill someone had put an acute above the last e (Don't know how to do it in this forum) We can trace the name back to 1590 in England.

I can do it like this è, é or ê but it is because I use a French keyboard, not because of this forum. You could probably re-configure your keyboard, but is it really worth it for one letter? We know what you mean.

[Riverkilt]

I'm so lucky. I can go back 8 generations of little d Macdonalds. The Island Scot way of spelling. Have papers from Ludavic Macdonald ( my 5 great grandfather) showing the little d spelling. My grandfather Murdoch pounded into me - don't let them "Mc" you or make it a big D. Immigration folks didn't change it. Census folks butchered it, but the family has maintained continuity through the generations.

Course doing genealogy work have to look for all the variations too. Found my great grandfather in the 1880 census of Bodie, California as McDonald. But the other information and the knowledge that he was a miner, and family lore of him in the area, cements it as him.

But he didn't write his name on the census list - the census taker did.