From medieval records to modern registries, surnames have undergone countless spelling variations. Understanding these changes can unlock the history behind your family name and its associated coat of arms.
Surnames, or family names, have a long and dynamic history. In the Middle Ages, surnames were often changed frequently. Unlike today, there were no requirements for a name to remain consistent throughout a person's lifetime. This fluidity means that many modern surnames do not appear in historical records until the 17th or 18th centuries. For example, when the Bourers of Sussex moved to Kent in the 1600s, their surname changed to Bowra1.
Even famous historical figures often spelled their own names in multiple ways. William Shakespeare, for instance, used variations such as Shakespeare, Shakespere, Shakespear, Shakspere, and Shaxspere².
"Variants of family names are extraordinary in number. The Mannerings of Cheshire are said to have 137 different ways of spelling the name in the their archives. I think it was Mr. Chaloner Smith who found over 400 variations of Cushion in old wills, &c."[3]
During the 11th and 12th centuries, names were often Latinized in official records. For example, the surname Fulford could appear as de Turpi Vado. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, surnames often reflected the father's name, place names, or even personal nicknames. Examples include Ralph de Cheurolcurt and Adam de Sutton, called "Ballard". By the 15th century, elaborate variations became less common, but surnames continued to evolve well into the 17th century.1
Many surnames were altered when families migrated, particularly to the Americas. Immigrants often simplified or Anglicized their names for easier pronunciation and record-keeping. For example, Schneider became Snider, and Schröder often became Schroeder or Schroder.5
Passenger lists were handwritten and prone to transcription errors, so modern researchs must account for multiple spellings of the same surname. As Filby notes,
“It should be remembered that names of emigrants were often recorded as they were heard, that many emigrants could not spell their own names, and that authorities were not as literate as one would wish. Thus variations in spelling of names occur, and members of the same family arriving at different times or places may be found under more than one spelling. In using the PILI [Passenger and Immigration Lists Index], the researcher should search for every conceivable spelling of the name sought.” [5]
