McKean/McKen

[dadumc]

Can someone help here?  My name is David McKean (half the family pronounces it as Mc Keen and the other hald say Mc Ian.  My question is the most recent generations use the McKean spelling but previous generations used the McKen spelling.  Does this give a hint as to where even earlier generations came from?  Is there a real difference between the 2 spellings?  Thank you!

[Rosinish]

Hi,

Many names have many variants for different reasons.

Most people were illiterate in days gone by i.e. whoever was taking info. would write down how 'they' thought it should be spelt.

Spellings transpired from people's accents.

A name given by someone with an Irish accent could sound so different from the same name given in a Scottish accent or how it sounded to an Englishman etc.

Hope this answers your question.

You will only find the changes by going backwards in your tree.

I have one surname with approx. 12 variations of spelling & the name for 1 person could change from birth, marriage, name on a childs birth/marriage & their death 

Very costly in terms of researching them I can assure you 

Annie

[dadumc]

Thank you.  My line seems to stop with Thomas McKen (born 1766, son of David).  I was hoping maybe the name variants would lead to the next leaf on the tree. 

[Rosinish]

You haven't given any indication of where the name is from?

I'm surprised there aren't more variations such as MacKin, McKain, McKane etc.

The name actually sounds Irish?

Annie

[dadumc]

Thomas is born in Larbert, Stirling, Scotland.

[Rosinish]

You really need to give more info. for others who may be connected & be able to relate to your post (pun not intended).

Names/Dates/Places/Occupation.

Who was Thomas married to, where & when?

Does the spelling of his name change on any docs, if so, which docs/where & when?

Can you give the names/dates/places born of children in order as he may have used the Scottish naming pattern?

Other info. on kids could attract interest to help too?

When & where did Thomas die?

Annie

[Forfarian]

Is there a real difference between the 2 spellings?  Thank you!

No.

Spelling is almost never significant before the late 19th century, though there are one or two families whose unusual spelling of their surname has persisted for longer than that.

According to G F Black's The Surnames of Scotland, both are variants of MacIan/MacIain. Other variants include MacKeand, MacKane, MacCane, MacKeane. MacKain, Makzane, Makaynd etc.

He also says, "When the MacIains (MacDonalds) of Ardnamurchan were driven out of their native territory in the first half of the 17th century some settled on the east coast, and several became merchant burgesses of Elgin. The name (in its newer home) was variously spelled Mackean and Mackeand (Clan Donald, III, P 553-554) .... Spellings in the Elgin records are McKain, Makzane and Makean. McKen 1760."

[sancti]

Thank you.  My line seems to stop with Thomas McKen (born 1766, son of David).  I was hoping maybe the name variants would lead to the next leaf on the tree.

When did he die?

How did you confirm his father's name?

[dadumc]

Once again, thank you all for the advice.  I'm a newbie and appreciate the guidance.

According to Scottish Births and Baptisms  Thomas McKen is born 17 Aug. 1766.  Death date unknown.  Son of David McKen and Margret Laing.  (no other info for David & Margret)

David and Margret's children: Thomas (Larbert, 1766), David (Dunipace, 1770), John (Dunipace, 1773), & Elizabeth Caroline (Dunipace, 1775).

Thomas marries Mary Brown (date UK).  Children: David (1795), Carrie John (1797), Thomas (1802), Adam (1804), & George (1807).

David marries Janet Rankin (1815, Stirling, Scotland).  Children: Thomas (1816, Denny), Agnes (1818, Denny), David (1824), John (1826), Janet (1830), Duncan (1833, Renfrew), & James (1835, Denny).