Background:

In most cases, if you turn back the clock less than a century, you will find at least one, perhaps more examples of a spelling change in a surname.

Many illustrious people frequently spelled their name in various ways including William Shakespeare who spelled his name Shakespeare, Shakespere, Shakespear, Shakspere and Shaxspere. Over the centuries names have changed greatly.

A quick look in the Domesday Book will give the reader a good insight to the drastic way in which names have changed. By the way, it is indeed rare to find a current spelling of a surname in the Domesday Book.

Names have often been changed to make it easier for people to spell upon their arrival in the Americas. A good example of this is the name Schneider that is often changed to Snider. In some cases, names are Anglicized because while the spelling in their homeland is commonplace, in the Americas, it would be very confusing and difficult to record. The name Schröder is often changed to Schroeder or Schroder.

To confuse matters more, it was a common practice in the 11th and 12th centuries to Latinize names in official records. Thus, we find Fulford as de Turpi Vado.

Today:

Today's rather clinical approach to exactitude in most things should not be carried to genealogical searches. Too many times people in their search for their ancestors have discarded people who have a different spelling of their surname, only to find later that this was another example of history's very relaxed attitude to spelling.

Spelling variations are still frequent today and are often found in the government's registries. In your search, always keep every possible record of a name that sounds like yours. Many registries in the US provide Soundex searches for surnames. This is the key for your research, particularly for names that have been found in North America for some time. If, in the end, one of these phonetic variations is found to be of no use, then that information can be discarded. It's much easier to discard such a reference than having to rediscover the reference after further research.