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Article posted: February 11, 2000 Ryan's Heritage Notebook... By: Ryan Taylor, Biography and Archived Articles 
Surnames And How They ChangeGeorge Taylor of Guelph, whose private genealogical newsletter is a privilege to see, had an interesting story about name spelling. The name involved was Kechnie, which is Scottish. Or so it would seem. The family was originally German and early records in Perth County spell the name Kuehne or Kiene. George's mother-in-law said that the name was usually pronounced Keeny or Keena into the twentieth century, but the name is now spelled Kechnie. The pronunciation is still Keeny, although some members of the family have switched to the Scottish way of saying it, 'Kek-nee'. Joanna Waugh of Guelph is descended from the same family and she recently found the name spelled Keeman. In all, George has collected eighteen spellings of the name. This is a reminder to all that in centuries past, virtually every name has been mispelled somehow. Family members altered their names at a whim, with brothers sometimes going down different orthographical roads. The German version of my own name, Schneider, is familiar to everyone in Waterloo Region. There are Snyders and Sniders as well, and perhaps even a Sznajder. One of the first genealogists I helped, years ago, at the Kitchener library was man named Schneider whose family had lived here from the earliest settlement. When I showed him his genealogy in Ezra Eby's Biographical History of Waterloo Township, he was furious at seeing the name spelled Snider. "We've never spelled it that way," he said, and angrily left the library. Eby had simply spelled everyone's name in the one way, to avoid problems. Anyone who is interested in pursuing family history should keep an open mind on how their name was spelled. In addition, some imagination may be necessary in interpreting documents. I recently came across the name Rachell Tholemew in an old burial record. The index naturally put her under T. Her name was really Bartholemew, but local practice found that name too long. The shorter version appears in the records as it did in everyday conversation. Books By Ryan Taylor Across The Waters, Ontario Immigrants Experiences 1820 - 1850 - by Frances Hoffman & Ryan Taylor, 1999. Riveting first-hand accounts of the immigration and settlement experience, taken from the diaries and letters of 150 immigrants. Routes To Roots, The Best of Ryan Taylor's columns from the Kitchener Waterloo Record, by Ryan Taylor 1997 More Family History Research Resources
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