Surnames and Early Families of Appalachia and the American South, S2:14

[@sandrataylor3723]

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.

[@BarryVann]

Thanks, Sandra!

[@suewarner1781]

I will never criticize, I just appreciate the history. History is something I have been passionate about all my life. Thank You!

[@BarryVann]

Thanks, Sue! I appreciate you so much!

[@Ammo08]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@Ammo08 Thanks, Terry!

[@gracie4duke]

Lots of interesting material today! And a wonderful tribute to your “Better Half.” ❤ Blessings on both of you!

[@BarryVann]

Thank you kindly!

[@luisvelasco316]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@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.

[@ladyhawthorne1]

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.

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@davido6170]

Great Intro! Listening to the names now

[@BarryVann]

Hope you enjoy, David!

[@BellesDreams]

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.

[@BarryVann]

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)?

[@pdrake2572]

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..

[@BarryVann]

@@pdrake2572 that’s good to know, Paul. I have never met a Baisden, and I have lived in seven southern states, Michigan, and Colorado.

[@BarryVann]

@@pdrake2572 Thanks, Paul!

[@lucyalderman422]

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

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@Inquisitor-vd6td]

you have a fine channel, filled with shiny bits of knowledge. Much appreciated.

[@BarryVann]

Many thanks, Inquisitor!

[@Khatoon170]

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.

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@unyieldingcreek1]

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 :)

[@BarryVann]

@unyieldingcreek1 I've covered over 900 and have nearly 800 that I haven't gotten to yet. Send me an email [e-mail], and I'll send you the list of covered families.

[@kimdolly]

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.

[@BarryVann]

Thanks for sharing!

[@kimdolly]

​@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.

[@BarryVann]

@kimdolly That's the same family. I descend from John "the interpreter" Vann and Agnes Weatherford.

[@kimdolly]

​@@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. 🦋

[@BarryVann]

@@kimdolly Kim, it looks to me like you are still a historian! Have you done Ancestry.com DNA?

[@TheSwissChalet]

Great personality and research!

[@BarryVann]

Thanks, Swiss Chalet!

[@ronaldsmith2343]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@ronaldsmith2343 Thomas Skittlethorpe born in N C in 1798. English origin.

[@ronaldsmith2343]

@@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?

[@petuniahead9982]

One of my paternal ancestors from that area: Price.

[@bradmcalister1027]

How about McAlister Stewart Price and Clark ???

[@BarryVann]

Hi Brad, these are the names I have covered, but there are 687 names on my list to cover. I think you'll find that some of the names have been covered. Season 1 Episode 1 (November 15, 2021) Anderson Buchanan Callahan Duncan Evans Graham Johnson/ Jones Owens Murphy Parton Relevant Episode 2 (December 16, 2021) Reed Wallace Sneed Parsons Morgan Dunlap Waddie Williams Walker Ferguson Episode 3 (December 21, 2021) Hutchison/Hutchinson Thompson/Thomson Wynn Shackelford Walmsley Devol Beverly Cobb Moore Spence Cochran Episode 4 (December 20, 2021) Cornett Stone/Stane Ratcliff Bush McNair Spiller Lewis Wright Hall Ham Episode 5 January 4, 2021 Hale Zwingli, Singly Colvin Pepper Phipps/Phillips Warren Ausmus Quinn Monroe Jerrell/Gerald Mooney Episode 6 (January 11, 2021) Lyle(s)/Lisle(s) Lindsey Carlin Dominey Oliver Adkins Browning Hensley Crum Lee/Lea Episode 7 (January 20, 2021) Meeks Harvey Prater White Copeland Keen/Keene Patterson Hawkins Kilby Gordon Fugate Episode 8 (January 26, 2022) Gibson Chisholm Branscomb Hughes Sizemore Kirkland Roberts Robertson Watson Hatfield Mullins Episode 9 (February 3, 2022) Coots Russell Byers Poland Hicks Tomlinson Scantlin/Scanlon Upchurch Wilson Episode 10 (February 10, 2022) Blevins Talley/Tally Newell Simpson/Simms/Simson Hood Crowder Priddy Sanders/Saunders Evans Episode 11 (February 15, 2022) Longmire Hatfield Kildare Kincaid Stewart/Stuart McCollough Haney Bell Caldwell Episode 12 (February 17, 2022) Grier or Greer Sumner Burke Barnett Perry or Parry Fultz Gatlin Dunn or Dunne or Dunning Corbin Episode 13 (February 23, 2022) Burrell Carver Stokes Franklin Cox Tipton Hamilton Skene Marcum Episode 14 (March 1, 2022) Suttles Perkins Lamb Davis Gallaher Philpot Graves Pichon Ramsey Episode 15 (March 4, 2022) Gray Bussell Lanham Coulter Runyon Stapleton Broom Meade Montgomery Cooper Episode 16 (March 10, 2022) Underwood Scoggins Pearson Cressy Finlay Bond Johnston Tait Episode 17 (March 17, 2022) Jeffers Mitchell Harrison Hunt Pickett Eldridge Crowe Caudill Morris Langdon or Langton Episode 18 (March 22, 2022) Couch Kees Bailey Miller Culbertson MacArthur Lovell Shinn Hankins Spencer Episode 19 (March 29, 2022) Fox Ledford Mason Alexander Halsey Warden Whaley Bennett Stringer Hewitt Episode 20 (April 5, 2022) Snyder Brock Hancock Whitehead Collins Gregory Craven Orr Episode 21 (April 12, 2022) Masters Kirkland McKiddy (No find) Gruggett (No Find) Glozier (No Find) Hamby Houston Boren Gooden Carroll Austin Herndon Episode 22 (April 19, 2022) Sherril Millsaps Rowland Morton Conley Sanson Rader Autry McDowell Episode 23 (April 27, 2022) Bryan, Brien, Bryan, Bryant Keziah, Kiziah Clowers Dunford Harmon, Harman, Herman Aycock, Heycock Nash Golden Holbrook Bilbrey, Bilbray, Bilby Episode 24 (May 3, 2022) Bird/Byrd Bridgeman Huddleston/Hiddleston Scott Hopkins Holyfield Bradley Jackson Rice/Rhys Episode 25 (May 9, 2022) Baldwin Baker Burris McClain Cummings Boggs Pritchard Nolan Episode 26 (May 17, 2022) Clary McNeal Rathbone Belcher Holmes Harris Barr Ford Tucker Episode 27 (May 24, 2022) Forbes Combs Adkinson/Atkinson /Acheson Howard Bruce Duggan Butler Goins Mader Powell Episode 28 (May 31, 2022) Hannah Hoskins Mosley Higginbotham Davenport Durley Reynolds Bays Campbell Episode 29 (June 7, 2022) Hodgkinson and Hodges Brazil (O’ Breasal) Newsome Wood(s) Elkins Lunsford DeHart Varney Episode 30 (June 14, 2022) Woodland Flatt and Flett Gentry Ison Hamrick and Hammerich Snell and Schnell Jaynes and Janes Jude Puckett Episode 31 (June 21, 2022) Brown Hartley Fletcher Hildebrand Duggar Dalton Bunch Hardwick McWhorter Episode 32 (June 28, 2022) Young/Younger Basham Head Frick(s) Gilley Shelton Frances Pearce Episode 33 (July 6, 2022) Beach Gardiner Kerr/Carr Hedger Bowles Curd Mercer Kendrick Dischner Episode 34 (July 12, 2022) Brimmer, Brymer Childress, Childers, Childs Honaker, Honegger Wood, Woods Dooley Lynch Simmons, Simonds, Knowles Horne Episode 35 (July 19, 2022) Redden Rowan Hollon Palmer Wilde Clayborne Jenkins Meadows Forester Episode 36 (July 26, 2022) West Lay Foster Leavey Bolling Webster Ballard Barnes Eason Ashcroft Episode 37 (August 2, 2022) King Fortune Darling, Darlin Christian Taylor Moody, Moodie Duff Campbell Allen, Alen, Allan, Alan Cable Episode 38 (August 9, 2022) Barker Petry Pauley Brumfield Henry Shannon Templeton Oney, Onley, Onely Sledge McKee MacIan Episode 39 (August 16, 2022) Leverett, Liverett Smallwood Stow(e) Lovejoy Burnside Selvage Lawson Mattox/Maddox McClister, McAllister Lowe Episode 40 (August 23, 2022) Rowe Collinsworth Roark McReynolds Gilbert Perkey Badgett Gilliland Webb Pirtle Episode 41 (August 30, 2022) Mayes Fortenberry Fortner, Furtner Hammett Fleenor Grantham Cairns, Karnes Pitt(s) Berry Barry, Barrie Episode 42 (September 6, 2022) Mayberry/ Maybury Martin Griffin Midkiff Adams Episode 43 (September 13, 2022) Yonts, Janz Parrott Kinder Wingfield Rose Yates Queen, McQueen Mulkeahey, Mulcahy Mitchusson, Mitchelson Galloway Episode 44 (September 21, 2022) Goggans, Goggins Light Skinner Ramey Enterkin Holloway Borders Fitch Ollis, Ollas, Olice Clark Episode 45 (September 27, 2022) Ray/Rhea/ Wray Craddock Castle, Kassel Grimm, Grim, and Grime Mixon, Nixon (Shout out to David Orochena (Ore-O-Chen-a.). Pace Capps Beasley Episode 46 (October 4, 2022) Baxter Coomer, Comber Bass Maggard Arthur Crisman, Chrisman Radabaugh York Episode 47 (October 11, 2022) Godfrey Kinsey, Kimsey Long Addington Medley Medlin Ferris, Farris Episode 48 (October 25, 2022) Thacker Childers Gossett Sharpe Jordan Case Sutton Episode 49 (November 1, 2022) Rambert Webster Ballard Crookshanks, Cruickshank Hacker Huggins, Hugans, Huggons Hanson, Hansen Huckaby, Huckabee, Huccaby Episode 50 (November 8, 2022) Shamblin/Chamblin Norwood Jarvis Ramsey Truman Bragg Sloan, Slone Nichols Hammond Episode 51 (Recorded out of order on January 10, 2023) Bain Cantrell Christopher Black Garman Mason Litton/Lytton Helton Turpin Episode 52 (December 13, 2022) Choat, Choate Todd Sircy, Searcy Dickson, Dixon Peoples Aycock, Adcock Grace Harrington Episode 53 (January 17, 2023) Helton Turpin Massey McGibbon Younger Hurst Henderson Episode 54 (January 21, 2023) Hammack Thurston Persinger, Bersinger Robbins McHam Estep Drummond O’Neal, O’Neil, O’Neal Episode 55 (April 5, 2023) Harlan(d) Buffington Shields Grant Emery, Emory Luttrell Archer Ayers, Ayres Episode 56 (April 12, 2023) Chester Kemplin Lay(s) Kelley, Kelly Peters Robinson Goble, Gobble Episode 57 (April 18, 2023) Hob, Hobb, Hobbs Wilcox, Wilcocks Lawson Thomas, McTavish, MacThomas Lane Marshall Maloney, Moloney Hughes, Huws Episode 58 (May 9, 2023) Deaton Couch Colburn Mayo Maness Hutton Bartlett deHart Episode 59 (May 16, 2023) Cremeans Catlett Croft Marshman Craver Hanes Everhart Loftin Episode 60 (May 26, 2023) Mize Etherton Burchfield Moon Strange Sherrill Lyon Payne Episode 61 (June 6, 2023) Collett Sample(s) Scruggs McCann Hill Skaggs Sparks Sturgill, Stodghill Episode 62 (June 13, 2023) Doss/Dawes Sandifer Estes Rogers Barnes Eason Ashcroft Episode 63 (June 22, 2023) Burton Windolph Shinkle, Schinkel, Schenkel McFarlin Manning Pendleton Poage Kennedy Episode 64 (June 27, 2023) Brooks Fike Basham Spradlin Fettinger Maynard Kidwell Murray Episode 65 (July 11, 2023) Cline Stepp Coppess Westbrook Burnham Setzer Stevens, Stephens Hawthorn Craig Episode 66 (July 18, 2023) Lanier Ferebee Presley Blankenship Sisson MacCarroll Hastings Winters Episode 67 (July 31, 2023) Ginn Tallman Stooksbury Kyker, Keicher Ailor, Aylor Weaver Whitehead Oxendine Episode 68 (August 8, 2023) Absher Prather Pigman Wetzel McGhee Stanley Garrett Episode 69 (August 22, 2023) Meece Van Hook Vanover Holt Hargis Sinclair Scott Episode 70 (September 5, 2023) Mims Hurley Easterly Knox Gillette Peak Coley, Colley, Collie Episode 71 (September 12, 2023) House Doherty McManus Hagler Fields Messer Renfro, Renfroe, Renfrow Episode 72 (September 20, 2023) Hunter Coffee Gunter Muse Rigney Wood, Woods, Woodson McCleve /McCleave Episode 73 (September 26, 2023) Pike Lambert Heavens Burgess Crider Bethea Westray Season 2 Episode S2:1 (June 11, 2024) Bean, Beene, Alverson Crumley Chumley Bunt Dedman Godsey Sconyers/ Conyers Episode S2:2 (June 18, 2024) Pinson Butterworth Breeden/Braden Marion Poteet Haralson, Haraldson, Haroldsen Episode S2:3 (June 25, 2024) Pannell Walkup, Waugh, Wauchope Logan Tackett Hulsey McGuire Episode S2:4 (July 2, 2024) Chandler Cassity/ Cassidy Kuykendall Lacefield Chapman Haines, Haynes Episode S2:5 (July 9, 2024) Jacobs Coleman Goff Mutter Ball Ambler Episode S2:6 (July 16, 2024) Drewry, Drury Maclin Simmons Sykes Drake McCall, McColl, McCaul Episode S2:7 (July 25, 2024) Aldridge Eagle Funderburk Parrish Tillman Tillery, Tillyrie Episode S2:8 (July 30, 2024) Rutledge Smallman Gilliland Lovin Orrick Cole Episode S2:9 (August 7, 2024) Clay Wilder Elliot, Elliott Preston Curry Cundiff Episode S2:10 (August 20, 2024) Farmer Ogle Suggs Loftis Adair Burcham Episode S2:11 (August 27,2024) Fry, Frye Cannady, Kennedy Shipley McDaniel Beavers (Could not find) Hand Episode S2:12 (September 3, 2024) Britton Breazeal, Brazil, or Brazeal Favor Llewellyn Hatcher Welch Episode S2:13 (September 17, 2024) Trimble Curd Render Coates Miracle Daugherty or Dougherty Episode S2:14 (September 24, 2024) Stacy Bentley Baisden Halsell, Halsall Gilmore McRee or McRea

[@Lorriann63]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@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.

[@janepresnell5127]

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.😊

[@BarryVann]

I think we are true Appalachian people! Presnell is on the list of names to cover. I think it will come up soon.

[@Diddley-js6lf]

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.

[@BarryVann]

What were their surnames?

[@beachprepper566]

I would love for you to feature Reppert on your video. My father came from Morgantown, West Virginia. Thank you.

[@BarryVann]

@@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.

[@Diddley-js6lf]

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..

[@BarryVann]

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

[@barbaraedwards4439]

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)

[@BarryVann]

@@barbaraedwards4439 If you already know about them, what can do to help you?

[@BarryVann]

It’s on my list to cover.

[@jamesholbrook5820]

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!

[@stevepenney2073]

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.

[@BarryVann]

Thanks, James! I can relate!

[@jamesholbrook5820]

​@@stevepenney2073i guess i have a little bit of native blood but its algonquin! I can't claim Shawnee or Cherokee 😆😆

[@Luannnelson547]

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…

[@BarryVann]

@@Luannnelson547 Luan, I needed that levity this morning! Thanks!

[@je727]

lol! Classic stuff! I know a guy named Phil Boner. Has nothing to do with ancestry but classic nontheless

[@woowoochuggachugga]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@woowoochuggachugga That was nice of him.

[@davidburns8662]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@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 [e-mail] and I’ll send you the list with episodes.

[@maggiemaloney8599]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@maggiemaloney8599 I covered Duncan, but not the other families. Please send an email to [e-mail]. I’ll send you the list of covered names and their episodes.

[@queenie66]

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

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@smc130]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@smc130Phonics worked for your family. McKay is the common spelling. Send an email to [e-mail], 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.

[@nuttybar9]

Have you found anything on Justus yet?

[@BarryVann]

@@nuttybar9 yes. I’m going do it next week. I hope that helps you.

[@juliefarrell3957]

Request Hogan and Whelchel please ❤

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@juliefarrell3957]

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

[@richardkean5100]

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.

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@ByzantineCalvinist]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@ByzantineCalvinist I like your name. I thought Byzantium was Eastern Orthodox after 1054 AD.

[@ByzantineCalvinist]

@@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.

[@BarryVann]

@@ByzantineCalvinist Interesting! Thanks!

[@ellieplantagenet9121]

Have some Va Bentley's, too. Going back to Monmouthshire in the 1500s. Also one outlier from. Yorkshire.

[@elmacoffman6933]

McRae, is the County seat of Telfair County Georgia

[@BarryVann]

Thanks, Elma!

[@megzdubv2950]

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.

[@megzdubv2950]

They’re all Scotch/Irish

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@AmandaSkeens-p2q]

Could you do Pugh or Skeens.

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@svenjorgensen3059]

My family: Hendricks, Nash, Collins, Mullins, Ramey, Ingle. To name a few.

[@BarryVann]

@@svenjorgensen3059 send an email to [e-mail] and request the list of covered names. I will send it to you.

[@georgemacdonell2341]

We ended up in Spanish fla. after collodon running from the king. Our clan was on the Stuart right. All over the state now.

[@BarryVann]

@@georgemacdonell2341 That was a bad day in Scottish history.

[@georgemacdonell2341]

@@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.

[@BarryVann]

@@georgemacdonell2341 Thanks, George. There are a lot to f Scottish folk in Canada.

[@papaw5405]

I hope my offering of the local pronunciation of Iredell wasn't taken as criticism!

[@BarryVann]

@@papaw5405 No. you’re fine, Papaw! I was thinking of a rather rude woman who sent multiple hateful comments.

[@cnilecnile6748]

My ancestor was the mill operator at Jonestown, killed in the 1622 Powhatan Massacre.

[@BarryVann]

@@cnilecnile6748 Hi there! Our ancestors probably knew each other. The Proctor family experienced that massacre, but they held out until help arrived.

[@cnilecnile6748]

@@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.

[@BarryVann]

@@cnilecnile6748 Welcome!

[@cnilecnile6748]

@@BarryVann Yeah, it was William. The ones that stayed in England married into the Hanover family, which eventually produced Victoria Hanover-Queen Victoria, lol

[@cnilecnile6748]

@@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.

[@hauntedbearchild]

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.

[@BarryVann]

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

[@KathyJones-v5v]

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.

[@BarryVann]

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.

[@stevepenney2073]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@stevepenney2073 Oh wow! Thanks for that information, Steve!

[@garykyle962]

My surname is Kyle I don't know anything about it

[@BarryVann]

Good morning, Gary, Kyle is on the list of families to cover, along with four hundred families.

[@PeedyJ]

How about David Gilmour?…..Not a Pink Floyd fan, I guess.

[@BarryVann]

@@PeedyJ I’m sorry. I lean more heavy metal.

[@catherinealonso8923]

Hello

[@BarryVann]

Hi Catherine!

[@GUNNER308]

...................................TOLER...........................................

[@BarryVann]

Toler is on the list of families to cover; it's just before Gabbard and just after Gibby.

[@JamesLorrain]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@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-vp8lg]

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.

[@BarryVann]

@@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.