Further Interest...from my Mother...

[ncof300d]

I was over at my folks place this evening and I wore a kilt as I have worn a kilt there ever since I purchased my first kilt. Anyhow my mother has been a genealogy guru for decades and ever since I purchase my first kilt she has been curious to see if there is a tartan that exists for a branch of my father's family that lived on the Isle of Man. The problem is uncertainty about the spelling of the name. My father's grandmother wrote down the name as McNier. In the last obituary with the name it was recorded as Menear. In trying to find more on the family my mother found other possible variants of the spelling which are:
Manear
Maneer
Manere
Manier
Meneer
Menere
Menier
Monear
Moneer
Monere
Monier

I have searched for tartans at men-in-kilts.com, but nothing turned up. I will not be surprised if a tartan does not exist, but I was curious to see if anyone has see a tartan in one of these names and/or know of other places to search.
Thanks in advance,
Nate

[sirdaniel1975]

From www.electricscotland.com

Clan Buchanan:

MacInair MacInally MacInayr MacInchruter MacIndeoir MacIndeor MacIndoe MacIndoer MacInnuer MacInnuier MacInnyeir MacInuair MacInuar MacInuire MacInuyer......................................... ...............................................
.................................................. ..............................MacNar MacNare MacNayair MacNayer MacNayr MacNayre MacNear MacNeer MacNeir MacNeur MacNewer MacNoyar MacNoyare MacNoyiar MacNuer MacNuir MacNuire MacNure MacNuyer.......................................... ....Maknair Maknare Maknayr Maknewar Maknoyar .............................................. Makynnair

Clan MacFarlane:

MacKnaer MacKnair MacKnaire ............... MacKynnair MacKynnayr ............................... MacNair ..............MacNar MacNare MacNayair MacNayer MacNayr MacNayre MacNeadair MacNear ............................... MacNeer MacNeir MacNettar MacNeur MacNewer ....................................r MacNoyar MacNoyare MacNoyiar MacNuer MacNuir MacNuire MacNure MacNuyer MacNvyr

Clan MacNaughton:

MacInair MacInayr MacInnuer MacInnuier MacInnyeir MacInuair MacInuar MacInuire MacInuyer MacKynnair MacKynnayr .................................................. ............................ MacNair ............................. MacNar MacNare..............................
MacNayair MacNayer MacNayr MacNayre ........................... MacNear MacNeer .............. MacNeir .................. MacNeur MacNevin MacNewer .................................................. ...... MacNoyar MacNoyare MacNoyiar MacNuer MacNuir MacNuire MacNure

Obviously, check their claims, do your own genealogy research....

[sirdaniel1975]

Those Tartans:

Buchanan

MacFarlane

MacNaughton

Sure these clans have more than one Tartan...

I used this website:
http://www.tartans.scotland.net/find_tartan.cfm.htm

[oldsoldier]

As you'll no doubt discover, MANY last names are spelled phonetically, resulting in numerous variations. I went through a similar thing; last name is reed, spelling could be reed, read, reade, reid, rede. And, to compound that, it was a surname given to folks who didnt have one (a result of either a ruddy complexion, or red hair, which, again, can denote different countries of origin).
I found that, searching so thoroughly through my own genealogy, was a rich, rewarding experience, opening me up to learning about cultures and societies I never had a good understanding of. I hope you get the same out of your journey through your ancestry.

[macwilkin]

If your relatives were Manx (ie from the Isle of Man), then there are several Manx tartans available that would be most appropriate:

http://www.district-tartans.com/british.htm

You'll see them listed on this page on Matt's district tartans web site. No need to find a link to a clan when you have perfectly good district tartans available.

Regards,

Todd

[gilmore]

As your mother probably knows well, if you want certainty there is no substitute for the painstaking work of tracing the paper trail back generation by generation. Otherwise, it sometimes happens that people pick out a clan with a sept of a similar name and a groovy tartan, spend hundreds and thousands on kilts, accessories, a few tattooes, clan crests, maybe a visit to the clan lands, only to find out some years later that it was all a mistake, and a waste of time and money.

[ncof300d]

As your mother probably knows well, if you want certainty there is no substitute for the painstaking work of tracing the paper trail back generation by generation. Otherwise, it sometimes happens that people pick out a clan with a sept of a simlar name and a groovy tartan, spend hundreds and thousands on kilts, accessories, a few tattoes, clan crests, maybe a visit to the clan lands, only to find out some years later that it was all a mistake, and a waste of time and money.

Part of the problem is that the 'trail' goes cold very quickly. The first born of this line in the USA was a William 'Menear' born in Ohio in 1800. The only connection that is certain is that William's father (name unknown) came to Ohio from the Isle of Man. What also does not help is the birth date of William's father is unknown and the best my mother has been able to determine is that he was born somewhere between 1760-1775.

[macwilkin]

Part of the problem is that the 'trail' goes cold very quickly. The first born of this line in the USA was a William 'Menear' born in Ohio in 1800. The only connection that is certain is that William's father (name unknown) came to Ohio from the Isle of Man. What also does not help is the birth date of William's father is unknown and the best my mother has been able to determine is that he was born somewhere between 1760-1775.

See my post above about the Manx tartans. If you have a solid connection to the Isle of Man, they are, in my opinion, your best option.

Regards,

Todd

[gilmore]

Part of the problem is that the 'trail' goes cold very quickly. The first born of this line in the USA was a William 'Menear' born in Ohio in 1800. The only connection that is certain is that William's father (name unknown) came to Ohio from the Isle of Man. What also does not help is the birth date of William's father is unknown and the best my mother has been able to determine is that he was born somewhere between 1760-1775.

Has she looked at Manx parish records for that period? Are they extant?

There is another option for when you are at a brick wall, and that is DNA. If you have a male relative who is a Menear, you can test his Y chromosome, which is transmitted from father to son, as are surnames. Family Tree DNA (www.ftdna.com) is the largest company that does this, has the largest database, and hence is where you are most likely to find a match or a near match.

Does your mother subscribe to the Rootsweb surname mailing lists? or the location mailing lists? Eventually something may show up there.

In the meantime, as was suggested, if I were you and wanted a relevant tartan kilt, I would take a look at the Manx district tartans, rather than claiming a clan connection that may very well not be supported by the facts.