# Share some surnames and let's see if we's kinfolk **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101 "2005-06-20T19:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/41 "2005-06-21T15:35:41Z")
Lawrence - east coast Rohe - west coast, via Germany (I think, but I don’t know how far back?) Seville - east coast, via Spain Sheehan - Ireland Yoder - Michigan (Mennonite) These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. My own surname is so unusual that googling it would bring up me or relatively immediate family, so I’m leaving that one off. I know it’s of German origin and was changed by one family member who came from Germany. All of us with the name are related to one another via the one ancestor. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/42 "2005-06-21T16:42:17Z")
**Richardson** - Iowa (my dad) **Jacques** - Iowa, Pennsylvania – probably France, at some point **Larson** - Iowa, Denmark A cousin has traced the Jacques and Larson branch back to the mid 1700’s, but I know nothing about the Richardson branch. My stepdad was born in South Sea, England, and for some reason (which has always intrigued me), he changed his name – first, middle, last – when he came to the US in the early 50’s. I’ve seen his birth certificate and his military discharge record. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/43 "2005-06-21T17:02:07Z")
**Harrell** and **Pipher** , both from southern Indiana, one by way of Scotland and one by way of Germany. There are also a lot of **Stein** s in southern Indiana that I’m related to distantly, also a German last name. **Stone** , too. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kaitlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/44 "2005-06-21T17:02:07Z")
**McAlevy** - General William McAlevy was my great x 5 grandfather. He has a fort in Pennsylvania. **Custer** - as in the General–he’s my fifth cousin four times removed, or something; the common ancestor is an Arnold. **Mustard** - (not as in the Colonel!) The family migrated from Delaware to Pennsylvania to Southern Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/45 "2005-06-21T17:03:05Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Just a handfull: Stephenson, Byars, Cook of TN and Stephens of TX. We might be related. Byers/Byars TN & NC Pearson MI Sheldon TN ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/46 "2005-06-21T18:08:30Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Keeping Got me a Keeping going back to Dorset, 1799. Right. Dorset Dopers (Weymouth, Wyke Regis, Melcombe Regis), take note: **McKelvey** (also Ontario/Manitoba) **Way Syms Keeping** What else? **Edwards** (Shropshire/Wales) \*\*Woodcock \*\*(Staffordshire/Worcestershire) **Wood** (as above) **Muirhead** (PQ, 1811, later moved to BC) **McCombe** (County Tyrone, Ireland) **Philip** (Musselburgh, Scotland) **Jamieson/Jemmeson** - Nova Scotia/Scotland (need help here, if anyone can find out where Edmund and his wife Isabella came from) **Pope** (ON) ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/47 "2005-06-21T18:19:43Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > **Easterland** of NC and AL. This is as close as I come to being related, so far ( **EasterLING** ). Also, are you related to Bill Golden (of the Oak Ridge Boys)? He’s from around here! ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/48 "2005-06-21T18:25:23Z")
**Tucker** from Altoona **Markley** and **Allerdice** from DC area. The latter not too distant from the Allardyces of Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/49 "2005-06-21T18:56:08Z")
Ogur – I’d be flabbergasted if anyone on the SDMB shares this one – it’s extremely rare. Seems to have originated near Kiev, but the name appears Turkish(!). Noe – another relatively rare name in the US. Oddly enough, both my wife’s maiden name & the maiden name of my grandmother’s mother. Originated in France. Samuels – France Fichman – Romania. Farmers to the King, supposedly. Rothman – Poland/Russian ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/50 "2005-06-21T20:02:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Noe – another relatively rare name in the US. Oddly enough, both my wife’s maiden name & the maiden name of my grandmother’s mother. Originated in France. Hey! I know a Noe; she could be related to you, though I don’t believe she reads the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/51 "2005-06-21T20:09:29Z")
**Beaudoin** - Paternal Grandfather from Massachusetts. **Ferry** and **McFerry** - Mother’s father’s family from Ireland. **Lavoie** - Mothers Mother’s family from Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/52 "2005-06-21T20:09:54Z")
All my family came from Poland in the early 1900s and settled in the Baltimore area. The only names I know: maternal - Krawczyk, Maciewski and paternal - Rychlak, Tabor I don’t know where in Poland any of them were from, and no one still alive here has kept in touch with anyone there. I’d be amazed if anyone here is related to me. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/53 "2005-06-21T20:15:55Z")
My family (I only know Mom’s side) came from Wales when my grandmother was a child. The family names on her side, are Wynne and Jones. My grandfather grew up in Montana. His last name was Hundley. I don’t know his mother’s maiden name. I’ve never met anyone with his last name with that exact spelling. I’m pretty sure he too, is of Anglo-Saxon decent. Maybe Irish. He had black hair and blue eyes, like the black Irish. My husband’s family names are Short and Benest Irish and I think, French. On our last cruise, the people in the cabin next to us had the last name Short. We knew, because the steward thought we were together. When we had the opportunity to speak with them, the husband looked like Hubby’s dad! With a bit of family name dropping, it turned out they were second cousins. “Its a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.” Steven Wright ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/54 "2005-06-21T20:32:55Z")
Powell, Poarch, Massey, Maddox, Goode, Anderson, Brown ---
**Author:** ![Imbrium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/13edae/32.png) [@Imbrium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imbrium)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/55 "2005-06-21T20:59:02Z")
Bonnell and Brown are all I know from my father’s side. My mother’s side is full of German names: Bolander, Kauffman, Hauenstein ---
**Author:** ![Gundhilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@Gundhilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundhilde)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/56 "2005-06-21T21:33:56Z")
Bell here, **Aangelica** , but I don’t think my ancestors were from anywhere near Texas, not to mention it’s a rather common name. Also in the family, I’ve got: Ward, Ropp, Earhart, Griffin, Benscoter, Lanz, Osborn, Mumma. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/57 "2005-06-21T21:38:30Z")
We have McCrae, Patterson, Cleaver, Ramage, Grandusky (this name is of Polish origin; my genealogical aunt has traced other branches of the family who spell it Krandowski, Krandusky, and about 6 other variations), Guttenburg, Gallets–mostly from the western end of New York and Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/58 "2005-06-21T21:38:42Z")
Why not? Nadel Birnbaum Wimmer Rotter oh yes, and Steinhardt Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/59 "2005-06-21T22:51:34Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > Why not? > > Birnbaum Any relation to George Burns? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101/60 "2005-06-21T23:22:57Z")
Last name is Van Scoyoc, transmogrified over the years from Van Schaick, which itself was a contraction of Van Schadyck, ultimately coming from van Schadewyck. The ancestor who immigrated to New Amsterdam was Cornelis Aertsen (van Schaick)\* and I am the eleventh generation counting him as the first. If you are descended from this person we should be able to figure out what degree of cousins we are and at what level of removal. My direct Van Scoyoc ancestors mostly were youngest sons of older parents; hence in the family tree I have co-generationists who died before 1900. \*He didn’t use the name Van Schaick, but his ancestors supposedly did. His sons certainly resumed using it and that the name has stuck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-some-surnames-and-lets-see-if-wes-kinfolk/309101.md?page=4)