Andrew surname help

[skauwt]

i wonder if anyone could point me in the right direction to read up on the Andrew surname anything at all would be a help Ive searched online for some information but its rather spare and most of the data seems to contradict each other
its my brother in laws surname so i thought id do a wee bit of research for him as he has always asked me for advice on where to check for info and Ive never been able help him out so i figure a few folk here must know something about the Andrew surname

[Lachlan09]

Hi there

It's very tempting to follow the obvious route and say that if the Andrew name has Highland connections, then of course it would be seen usually as either MacAndrew or Anderson. It is highly possible that the ancestor has not adopted or not maintained the Mac prefix. If the Andrew persons have Scottish ancestors, then its highly likely that MacAndrew/Anderson is the correct tartan.

I'd put money on it.

[Charlie Mc.]

If your name is related to McAndrew, I fear there are no easy answers as to which clan you are associated with. http://www.anderson-assoc.org/page11.html This is a link to an article about the name McAndrew. You are pretty much stuck doing genealogical research to find out where your name actually comes from.

[skauwt]

thanks lads its actually my brother in laws surname ,

its interesting in which Ive noticed the assumption of being outside Scotland from the both answers sadly both my brother in law and myself are stuck in this cold place and to be honest if there is a connection to the highlands its doesn't matter, i find it rather odd this need to be at one with the highlands from folk across the pond when it comes to ancestors im happy just finding out my ancestors names rather than what part of scotland they lived in

thanks anyways i knew it was a long shot but at least it clarifies a few routes in which to go for him ,
basically he saw id traced my tree back to the 1500s with most sides of my family and he wanted to be able to fill the other half so to speak for my nephews and niece

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Hello Mr. Chisholm,

To further complicate matters it was not uncommon for Scots in the 19th century (and later) to drop the "mac" from their surname. Hence McAndrews would become Andrews.

I, too, sometimes wonder at the need to establish that "highland connection" some people search for when sorting out a family tree.