I always enjoy your telling of the origins of surnames. I'm 67 and as I get older, I find that my heritage means a lot to me. Thank you.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thanks, Sandra!
@suewarner17813 ай бұрын
I will never criticize, I just appreciate the history. History is something I have been passionate about all my life. Thank You!
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thanks, Sue! I appreciate you so much!
@Ammo083 ай бұрын
The more I study my ancestors from the Virginia Colony and Tennessee..and before that in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ulster...they were predominately farmers..a few were soldiers, a few were skilled tradesmen, but most were farmers of one variety or another. I have never seen the name Basden or Halsall. Rhea and McRae are both represented here in the Ozarks.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@Ammo08 Thanks, Terry!
@gracie4duke3 ай бұрын
Lots of interesting material today! And a wonderful tribute to your “Better Half.” ❤ Blessings on both of you!
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thank you kindly!
@luisvelasco3163 ай бұрын
Barry, you don't have to act as your own apologist. Ypu're providing a great, interesting service with this channel. Besides, people with these surnames can't definitively decide among themselves how the name should be pronounced. For instance, I grew up with a guy named McAuliffe, which he pronounced Mac-a-fee, but I was jumped all over by a girl with the surname when I was in college who was scandalized that I would so butcher her name. Sometimes you just have to ask then defer to their preference.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@luisvelasco316 Thanks, Luis! I appreciate the support. There were a couple of trolls who went through several videos recently and picked out words that they didn’t like. I hope all is well in the North Carolina medical profession.
@pdrake25723 ай бұрын
I always enjoy your program. Rae is common in our area as is McRae. I was raised with lots of Baisdens, they were as common as broomsage in our area..Thanks once again..Paul..
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@pdrake2572 that’s good to know, Paul. I have never met a Baisden, and I have lived in seven southern states, Michigan, and Colorado.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@pdrake2572 Thanks, Paul!
@Inquisitor-vd6td3 ай бұрын
you have a fine channel, filled with shiny bits of knowledge. Much appreciated.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Many thanks, Inquisitor!
@ehorner612 ай бұрын
Very well researched!
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
@@ehorner61 Many thanks!
@ladyhawthorne13 ай бұрын
I've found that different generations sometimes pronounce their last name slightly differently and often have different spellings. Of course census takers didn't always spell things the same either. One of Gt grandmother's first name was Flemontine and her nickname was Flemon or Flammon (Flammon is what is on her gravestone) But that could be down to an accent as well. My grandfather wrote his last name of McClain several ways over the years according to my mother. I always look forward to your videos even if it does not mention any ancestors of mine, I love history.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Lady, thanks for the additional perspective on how spellings and pronunciations can vary even within families in the same rural area. Last week we covered Miracle and discussed how it's pronounced differently among family members in the Cumberland Gap area. I would be happy to check to see if any your families have been requested by others. Just let me know what to look for on the list.
@davido61703 ай бұрын
Great Intro! Listening to the names now
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Hope you enjoy, David!
@BellesDreams3 ай бұрын
Barry, thank you so much, I for one appreciate you ! I supposedly , if you can believe the internet, find some of my ancestors are from The Isle of Mann.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Belles, thanks for the kind words! I appreciate you for them. What surnames of folks do you have that could be from the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin)?
@lucyalderman4223 ай бұрын
The kindest thing anyone can do for another person is to try to correctly pronounce there name because each person’s name can have so many variations and come from other languages this isn’t always the easiest thing to do but thank you for being willing to learn
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thanks, Lucy! I do this as a hobby because it means a lot to me to help folks who care about their heritage. I was born and raised very poor and did not know that I was illegitimate until I was 14. On my own, I searched for my father (Harry Vann Jr.), found him, and built a relationship with him and his family before I was 16. They could have rejected me, but they didn't. I never knew the man that my mom was married to when she had me. In short order, he left and never came around us. Sadly, mom and her family told me that he was my dad, but he wasn't. Now, DNA has confirmed that I am a Vann.
@unyieldingcreek13 ай бұрын
Keep up the good work, I haven’t come across any of my maternal relatives surnames that you have mentioned, but I don’t think a lot of them stayed in the Appalachian area long before they moved on to Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Maybe one day :)
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@unyieldingcreek1 I've covered over 900 and have nearly 800 that I haven't gotten to yet. Send me an email toVanntagepoint22@gmail.com, and I'll send you the list of covered families.
@ronniewatkinsАй бұрын
I just happened upon your channel and I love your content! New sub BTW. I'd love to learn about the surname Watkins. Family lore says an ancestor was Captain John Smith's right hand man during the Jamestown voyages, buy I can't find anything about it.
@BarryVannАй бұрын
@@ronniewatkins From what I have read, Captain Smith's page was Samuel Collier. Welcome aboard the SS Vanntage Point.
@kimdolly2 ай бұрын
My family was the Gilmore family that you mentioned. I've traced them back to Ireland and Scotland. They have quite a legacy in this country. Thank you for mentioning them.
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing!
@kimdolly2 ай бұрын
@BarryVann I just noticed your name is Vann. My 5th Great Grandparents were John " the Trader" Vann and his wife Elizabeth, " sister of Raven" Moytoy. Their daughter Elizabeth Quedi Vann married John Bell so I'm kin to the Bell and Vann family in those parts. I had the paper trail but it was nice when my DNA showed me that I cone from Eastern South Carolina settlers. Thank you for thos series. It's really interesting.
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
@kimdolly That's the same family. I descend from John "the interpreter" Vann and Agnes Weatherford.
@kimdolly2 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann, your John Vann was my 1st cousin 6x removed. It is such an incredibly small world. We are distant cousins and I'm happy to meet you. I thought we might be, as I'm kin to so many folk from thereabouts both Native and not. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I love meeting new, to me, cousins and love your historical series. I'm a former Historian and 44 yr genealogical researcher. 🦋
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
@@kimdolly Kim, it looks to me like you are still a historian! Have you done Ancestry.com DNA?
@TheSwissChalet3 ай бұрын
Great personality and research!
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thanks, Swiss Chalet!
@janepresnell51273 ай бұрын
The surname Presnell may have different spellings, but I would like to know more about my last name. And yes, I have heard that my grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee. Thank you for your videos. I really enjoy them.😊
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
I think we are true Appalachian people! Presnell is on the list of names to cover. I think it will come up soon.
@Khatoon1703 ай бұрын
Thank you for your wonderful cultural channel dr Barry . I looked up for meaning and origin of surnames you mentioned briefly here it’s Stacy is English ( southern) : from the Middle English personal name Stacy , a diminutive of stace , a pet form of Eustance . In some cases an American shortened and altered form of Greek stainopulos, a patronymic from the personal name stasinos . Bentley is a gender - neutral name with English origin. Meaning “ meadow with coarse grass “ . This name emits images of glorious, rolling hills and the tranquil English countryside. Baisden : English ( surrey Kent and Essex) : habitational name from Basden wood in gawkiest Kent . The place name is from the old English personal name beadu , ( or the same as an abbreviation compound name ) +denn ( swine pasture) . Compare to baysden . Halsall is English ( lancashire ) : habitational name from place in lancashire named halsall from an old English personal name hael +halh ( nook of land ). The name Gilmore traces its origin to Ireland and holds a profound significance in it meaning. It’s derived from the Gaelic name mac giolla mhuire, it’s translates to servant of the Virgin Mary . This religious association reflects the deeply rooted Christian beliefs present in Irish history. Mccree this notable Scottish surname, variously spelt maccrea, maccraw , maccree and maccrie, derives from an ancient Gaelic male given name “ mac raith “ , son of grace , prosperity, or favor , from Celtic “ rat “ , luck , fortune. I hope you like my research. Good luck to you your family friends.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Hi Khatoon, I am glad to see you are still studying! May I suggest that you place punctuation (periods, commas, colons, and semicolons) next to the letter that precedes it. You can see how the commas appear within the parentheses above.
@ronaldsmith23433 ай бұрын
Here is one from Coastal Carolina between the Albemarle and Pamlico Sound and west? - My 96-year-old mum was a Skittlethorp(e)? She remembers Indians but nothing I can confirm as solid. What would be the best way to track this down before I lose her. The old country records are very sparse of anything at all for the family beyond her on paper. This was truly a wilderness, it seems, even now. Some areas come up like Swan Quarter, Bath, Lake Mattamaskeet, and all the way out the tip of this Mainland Peninsula that looks over to the OBX.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@ronaldsmith2343 Thomas Skittlethorpe born in N C in 1798. English origin.
@ronaldsmith23433 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann Thanks - gives me another place to look. Lot of the relatives are still there. Her name was Luta Skittlethorpe. Do you know where Thomas was born?
@petuniahead99823 ай бұрын
One of my paternal ancestors from that area: Price.
@Lorriann633 ай бұрын
Hello. I'm from upstate NY. It could be very hard to find family lines because a lot of them were changed, or recorded for a person's preference. I have two great grandmothers who hated their first names and were called something else. I know where their graves are and even their stones go by their preferred names. If I hadn't been told this by my grandparents it would have been difficult to locate them by name alone. My grandmother's mother has her given name in an old family Bible, but she is buried by her middle name, as she preferred to be called. My granfather's mother was the same. I put their full names on Find A Grave. And I worked with two sisters whose maiden name was Rathburn, but they told me that the name was really Rathbun. Their grandfather liked Rathburn better, so he changed it. I'm sure it happened a lot. That makes trying to find people's true line very difficult unless they have a written paper trail.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@Lorriann63 DNA is clearer than paper trails. Incest is an issue too. I was born out of wedlock, but my DNA test confirmed who I was told was my father’s family. Even though I met and got to know them, I had some lingering doubts. After DNA analysis, things came together quickly.
Have you done the Bettes name? I know a little of them being in North Carolina and Tennessee.
@BarryVann10 күн бұрын
It looks like a variant of Bettis, an English name.
@woowoochuggachugga2 ай бұрын
I am very fortunate to have a former brother in law who is passionate about genealogy. He and my sister had a son together, so he made sure to include her line on Daddy's side all the way back to 16th Century London.
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
@@woowoochuggachugga That was nice of him.
@donnastarnes33068 күн бұрын
Request Renfro, Howell, Hall or West
@BarryVann8 күн бұрын
@@donnastarnes3306 They've been covered. Write to vanntagepoint22@gmail.com for a list of names and episodes.
@Diddley-js6lf2 ай бұрын
My First Cousin Thomas Carmichael Was a Four Time World Highland Games Champion Traveling all over The World Competing. He is very Ill These Days From ALS..
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
Thanks for writing and telling us about Thomas's championships in the Highland Games. I'm sorry to hear about his ALS. Prayers going up! Barry
@barbaraedwards44393 ай бұрын
How about the Odom clan of Cannon county, Tenn?or the Harkey,s of N Carolina? I enjoy your show and since I have about 1200 ancestors, dating back to the Savages of Jamestown I am always looking for some of my family.. Thanks for the history lesson. Bobbie Edwards(John Edwards of Virginia 1759)
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@barbaraedwards4439 If you already know about them, what can do to help you?
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
It’s on my list to cover.
@beachprepper5663 ай бұрын
I would love for you to feature Reppert on your video. My father came from Morgantown, West Virginia. Thank you.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@beachprepper566 I can add Reppert to my list, which is a German name that was in Pennsylvania by the 1730s. There are 500 plus names in front of it.
@Luannnelson5473 ай бұрын
Speaking of names such as “Baisden,” coming from the OE for “swine pasture.” I have a 9th or 10th ggfather named “Theophilus Shatswell.” One shudders to think…
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@Luannnelson547 Luan, I needed that levity this morning! Thanks!
@je7273 ай бұрын
lol! Classic stuff! I know a guy named Phil Boner. Has nothing to do with ancestry but classic nontheless
@Diddley-js6lf2 ай бұрын
That’s Funny I have Family in Oliver Springs. Actually all over East Tennessee Including My Oldest Brother In Crossville and my Youngest In Harriman.
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
What were their surnames?
@davidburns86623 ай бұрын
Could you find the Burns and Cole sir names? I've always thought that my people came from Scotland, I also think they might have been indentured servants. I have found my father's parents, but I'm having a difficult time finding my mother's folks the Cole family.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@davidburns8662 Good morning, David, I’m on my way to Charleston, SC. I’m pretty sure that I’ve covered the Burns and Cole origins. They are both among the traditional names in Scotland. Send me an email to vanntagepoint22@gmail.com and I’ll send you the list with episodes.
@nuttybar93 ай бұрын
Have you found anything on Justus yet?
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@nuttybar9 yes. I’m going do it next week. I hope that helps you.
@ByzantineCalvinist3 ай бұрын
My great grandmother was born a Bentley in Virginia. Her father was Squire Benjamin Martin Bentley. Line reputedly going back to England and one Thomas Bentley at the end of the 17th century.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@ByzantineCalvinist I like your name. I thought Byzantium was Eastern Orthodox after 1054 AD.
@ByzantineCalvinist3 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann that’s my dad’s side. He was from Cyprus. My mother’s side is British Isles and Finnish. But look up Cyril Lucaris. He was a genuine Byzantine Calvinist during the Ottoman era. Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@ByzantineCalvinist Interesting! Thanks!
@ellieplantagenet91213 ай бұрын
Have some Va Bentley's, too. Going back to Monmouthshire in the 1500s. Also one outlier from. Yorkshire.
@jamesholbrook58203 ай бұрын
I live in southern Ohio along the Ohio River and it seems like everybody you talk to claims Cherokee blood. I learned a long time ago to keep my big mouth shut. Most people don't like it when you tell them that if they have native American blood it's more likely to be Shawnee😆. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and God bless!
@stevepenney20733 ай бұрын
Thank You!...My great grandmother is from your area and she was Shawnee...Not only that but the Shawnees covered a wider area than the Cherokee but you seldom hear anyone claiming Shawnee blood.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thanks, James! I can relate!
@jamesholbrook58203 ай бұрын
@@stevepenney2073i guess i have a little bit of native blood but its algonquin! I can't claim Shawnee or Cherokee 😆😆
@AmandaSkeens-p2q3 ай бұрын
Could you do Pugh or Skeens.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Amanda, Skene can be spelled as Skeen. The s added on the end of it means the son of Skene or he was one of those Skenes. Both spellings go back to the same name. Skene or Skeen is in Episode 13 (February 23, 2022); Pugh is on the list of names to cover, but it's pretty far down the list.
@maggiemaloney85993 ай бұрын
I am interested in the names Duncan, DeHaven and Sterrett or Sterret, all ancestors who arrived very early to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. Thank you.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@maggiemaloney8599 I covered Duncan, but not the other families. Please send an email to vanntagepoint22@gmail.com. I’ll send you the list of covered names and their episodes.
@elmacoffman69333 ай бұрын
McRae, is the County seat of Telfair County Georgia
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Thanks, Elma!
@juliefarrell39572 ай бұрын
Request Hogan and Whelchel please ❤
@BarryVann2 ай бұрын
Welchel is of German origin. I have them on my list to research. Hogan is of Irish derivation. Thanks, Julie! By the way, Julie has always been my favorite lady's name.
@juliefarrell39572 ай бұрын
Thank you kindly 😊.. these are my ancestors..I know the Whelchel ancestors came over on the Snowy Betsy prior to the Revolutionary War because my ancestors were in it..I don't know much about the Hogan side that far back @@BarryVann
@smc1303 ай бұрын
I have been very disappointed in trying to find my family surname McCaa (pronounced McKay) in genealogy records. We are supposedly Scottish in origin, but in 1986 on a trip to Scotland I found no one who even knew the name. We were in Edinburgh.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@smc130Phonics worked for your family. McKay is the common spelling. Send an email to vanntagepoint22@gmail.com, and I’ll attach the list of families that I’ve covered. There are nearly 700. McKay is a Scottish name, and it’s fairly common in Scotland and Ireland. I have found people in Scotland not very helpful. I taught at the University of Dundee, and there were plenty of people who didn’t know that white Americans originated in Europe.
@richardkean51003 ай бұрын
Are Reay and Ray the same just different spelling? I know my Great great grandfather who was a ray who fought in the Civil War. I have a picture and a grave marker that shows his grave. Also, the town of Ray Ohio is named for this family.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Richard, they could be the same. I was in a cemetery a month ago and saw graves of people that my family has known for several generations, yet their names were spelled multiple ways. It's all about phonics, so go by the sound of the spoken word.
@queenie663 ай бұрын
My husbands surname is Akers. The name itself is spelled a few different ways due to literacy issues. His ancestors we believe originated in England and Scotland. Is this right? We know they came to America and served in the Revolution against the British. Many still live in Appalachia today
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Queenie, based on just the surname, phonic works for a lot of people. In Scotland, it was most spelled Aikers. Most names that are found among the traditional surnames of Scotland, Ireland, or Wales are also in England.
@georgemacdonell23413 ай бұрын
We ended up in Spanish fla. after collodon running from the king. Our clan was on the Stuart right. All over the state now.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@georgemacdonell2341 That was a bad day in Scottish history.
@georgemacdonell23413 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann it could have been worse, many went to Canada for French protection. I'll take the sun. Finally got the stone back though, after almost a thousand years. In time it all works out. Love your show.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@georgemacdonell2341 Thanks, George. There are a lot to f Scottish folk in Canada.
@KathyJones-v5v3 ай бұрын
Mr Vann, I wish you would investigate my surname which is my brick wall. It is NORRIS. I truly enjoy your programs, both in content and humor. Thank you.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Hi Kathy, I live a half mile from the Powell River mouth into Norris Lake. I'm happy to cover Norris for you. It's on the list of names to cover, but it's pretty far down the list. I can tell you that the name originated among the Normans. It meant Northmen and was originally spelled Norreys.
@megzdubv29503 ай бұрын
I do on my mom’s side from up here on top of the Ohio Valley aka Pittsburgh, but not my daddy’s side aka down Hoopie or down river. Mitchell’s, Hall’s, Brannon’s & Rhoades.
@megzdubv29503 ай бұрын
They’re all Scotch/Irish
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
I'm sorry. I'm not sure if you are responding to a question. "I do on my mom's side..." seems to an answer to a question.
@cnilecnile67483 ай бұрын
My ancestor was the mill operator at Jonestown, killed in the 1622 Powhatan Massacre.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@cnilecnile6748 Hi there! Our ancestors probably knew each other. The Proctor family experienced that massacre, but they held out until help arrived.
@cnilecnile67483 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann His name was William (or James, one or the other) Head. My GGGGG grandfather's headstone is a National Historical Monument. I used to geneology research during my museum curator days. Saw your channel, and subscribed.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@cnilecnile6748 Welcome!
@cnilecnile67483 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann Yeah, it was William. The ones that stayed in England married into the Hanover family, which eventually produced Victoria Hanover-Queen Victoria, lol
@cnilecnile67483 ай бұрын
@@BarryVann William was brought over as an indentured servant-gambling debts. His uncle was a member of the House of Lords, and got stuck at the mill as punishment. They probably thought he was a dirtbag, lol.
@hauntedbearchild3 ай бұрын
I heard the story of a great-great-great grandmother on my mother's tribe being 100% Cherokee. Odd, because everyone I've known in the family from very far back was very fair, blonde and blue-eyed, with some red-haired. When I traced her back I found she was not even 1% Cherokee but very much English and Scottish in the paper trail. Also in tracing the family tree I did find, on my father's side, a Native American marrying a 6th great-grandfather, and his son, a 5th great-grandfather, marrying a half-Native American woman. Neither female direct ancestor was a Cherokee and they were two different tribes. I have no Native DNA detectable in my own DNA, nor do any of my brothers, it's all dropped off from back then. You have to follow the actual records to find your ancestors, not just family stories.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Many thanks for that well-written observation. In terms of DNA, my blue-eyed wife, whose family has never had a Cherokee tradition, has more tested Native DNA than I have. You are absolutely correct. Regards, Barry
@papaw54053 ай бұрын
I hope my offering of the local pronunciation of Iredell wasn't taken as criticism!
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@papaw5405 No. you’re fine, Papaw! I was thinking of a rather rude woman who sent multiple hateful comments.
@svenjorgensen30593 ай бұрын
My family: Hendricks, Nash, Collins, Mullins, Ramey, Ingle. To name a few.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@svenjorgensen3059 send an email to vanntagepoint22@gmail.com and request the list of covered names. I will send it to you.
@stevepenney20733 ай бұрын
My gr gr gr etc grandfather Thomas Godbey arrived in Jamestown in 1609.He was ambushed and murdered by a Bentley in a dispute over pulling a boat to shore.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@stevepenney2073 Oh wow! Thanks for that information, Steve!
@catherinealonso89233 ай бұрын
Hello
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Hi Catherine!
@garykyle9623 ай бұрын
My surname is Kyle I don't know anything about it
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
Good morning, Gary, Kyle is on the list of families to cover, along with four hundred families.
@PeedyJ3 ай бұрын
How about David Gilmour?…..Not a Pink Floyd fan, I guess.
Toler is on the list of families to cover; it's just before Gabbard and just after Gibby.
@JamesLorrain3 ай бұрын
You left out the spellings Ray and Wray for the surname Rea. BTW, both Vann and Lane are Cherokee metis families. The home of Joseph Vann is still standing in N.Georgia.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@JamesLorrain See episode 45 for your spellings. I was actually speaking in this episode more about the McRaes than the Rheas, etc. Phonics clearly works for that family. Episode 45 on September 27, 2022 might please you. I’m a descendant of Joseph Vann’s uncle John Vann. I’ve been to family get togethers at the Vann House in Chatsworth. I’m going to correct you on Vann being a Cherokee name. There are Vann folk among the Cherokee, but there are many who have never met a real Cherokee. The Vann surname predates Columbus’s landing on Hispaniola.
@AnneDowson-vp8lg3 ай бұрын
I'm English. I used to work with a young man who's surname was Vann. His family came from Eastern England and he said the name was originally Dutch. A lot of Dutch men did come to Eastern England in the 1600s to help drain the Fens or marshes to make agricultural land. Oh, and Eustace wouldn't have been drinking tea in 1630, as tea didn't arrive in England until 1664 when King Charles II married Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess.
@BarryVann3 ай бұрын
@@AnneDowson-vp8lg I stand corrected on the date for the arrival of tea. That comment was intended as humor, which obviously wasn’t too funny. Van is Dutch preposition. There are multiple sources the Vann surname. I actually have a PhD in historical geography from the University of Glasgow. I also taught at Dundee, so it’s nice to meet a person from England.