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Archivesanyone know why many last names were changed from the original forms to some slightly different forms??
Hi
Can anyone explain to me why there are such changes in last names?? My last name is Greffin, which i believe came from Griffin. I also notice that many people have last names that are one letter difference or missing one letter from the original. Hope you know what i mean. I also notice that this happens a lot in the US, not in England or other places.
Is this merely a misspelling? or is there any other reasons?? If it's a misspelling, how come it happened to so many people??
Thanks for your response.
Can anyone explain to me why there are such changes in last names?? My last name is Greffin, which i believe came from Griffin. I also notice that many people have last names that are one letter difference or missing one letter from the original. Hope you know what i mean. I also notice that this happens a lot in the US, not in England or other places.
Is this merely a misspelling? or is there any other reasons?? If it's a misspelling, how come it happened to so many people??
Thanks for your response.
1
Replies
Sometimes its a regional difference, like songs and verses are different in different regions of England or America.
My personal hunch is that there were many illiterate people at one time who couldn't spell and when they gave their names they got put down however the clerk thought they should be spelled. English spelling wasn't standardized until 16-something.
Sometimes it's a clan thing as with Scottish names. I don't know about your name, but any geneology search ought to clear it up or a look through family records to see if it ever appears with a more conventional spelling.
Good luck!
My personal hunch is that there were many illiterate people at one time who couldn't spell and when they gave their names they got put down however the clerk thought they should be spelled. English spelling wasn't standardized until 16-something.
Sometimes it's a clan thing as with Scottish names. I don't know about your name, but any geneology search ought to clear it up or a look through family records to see if it ever appears with a more conventional spelling.
Good luck!
1
I'll give it a shot. In rural communities both in Europe and the US 200 years ago, schooling was rare and many people were illiterate. Often the only times their names were put into writing were at births, deaths, and marriages (this was before written censuses or tax forms).
This recording was often done by local officials or parish clerks who didn't see the names in writing often either. The spellings they put down were often their own interpretations of the spoken names and could vary in spelling.
When these same name bearers emigrated to the US, they took these "wrong" spellings with them. Of course, not being able to read, they didn't know they were "wrong". Once in rural US communities, the same conditions may have prevailed for a long time, and it's not uncommon in genealogical research to see a rural US surname change in spelling over 2 or 3 successive generations.
Another situation happened with non-English surnames. Upon people's arrivals in the US, the immigrations officials often didn't have the knowledge or patience to puzzle out correct spellings from people who may not have known them themselves. Or the name bearers may have initiated the changes, thinking a slight change in spelling might make their surname seem less "foreign".
That's only a piece of it, but hope it helps.
This recording was often done by local officials or parish clerks who didn't see the names in writing often either. The spellings they put down were often their own interpretations of the spoken names and could vary in spelling.
When these same name bearers emigrated to the US, they took these "wrong" spellings with them. Of course, not being able to read, they didn't know they were "wrong". Once in rural US communities, the same conditions may have prevailed for a long time, and it's not uncommon in genealogical research to see a rural US surname change in spelling over 2 or 3 successive generations.
Another situation happened with non-English surnames. Upon people's arrivals in the US, the immigrations officials often didn't have the knowledge or patience to puzzle out correct spellings from people who may not have known them themselves. Or the name bearers may have initiated the changes, thinking a slight change in spelling might make their surname seem less "foreign".
That's only a piece of it, but hope it helps.
1
Looks like we're on the same track, although I think you gave more detail about a similar situation. As to the last paragraph my grandfathers relatives changed the family name from Kom to Cohn when they immigrated to make it sound (supposedly) less German and yes, Kom turns out to be German after much research. We all thought it was something else for a long time.
I love this page, I rarely "talk" to people who have a clue about things like this. Thanks!
I love this page, I rarely "talk" to people who have a clue about things like this. Thanks!
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