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Archiver > DNA-R1B1C7 > 2008-10 > 1223446102


From: "Brian Caulfield" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA-R1B1C7] Dubious Paternity descriptions
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 23:08:22 -0700
References: <BA3CF196FD70453DBCB915A0F4843D3F@bedroom>
In-Reply-To: <BA3CF196FD70453DBCB915A0F4843D3F@bedroom>


It's pretty thoroughly documented that a number of names are known to be,
far more often than not, anglicized forms of older ones.




On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 5:04 PM, Steve Ewing <>wrote:

> Even the Ewing surname (like many others) has numerous questions about its
> origin and how the people who bear it came by it. The fact that David and I
> are part of the larger R1B1C7 (now R1B1B2e) "tree", as well as a large
> portion of the Ewing's currently involved in the Ewing DNA study, is at
> odds
> with a prevailing theory in our family that the Ewings were descended from
> native British Celts (which should put us into subclade more consistent
> with
> many of the Welsh than the Gaelic Irish) and as apparently caused some
> little consternation among some of our kit and kin!
>
> Even the spelling of the surname Ewing varies in the traditional
> genealogical records in Scotland and Ireland depending on what clerk or
> churchman recorded it that day. Is Ewing really just a spelling variation
> on
> the given name Ewan (which is also spelled Ewen, Ewin, Euen.....) and
> therefore taken from the Irish Gaelic, Eoghan (Owen), the Scottish Gaelic,
> Eoghainn (Yowen), or from some other source?
>
> Steve Ewing
>
>
> In a message dated 10/7/2008 9:33:31 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
> writes:
>
> Don't forget that a man can end up with a surname not belonging to his
> biological father in many ways that do not involve any extra-marital
> affairs, so we don't want to choose a term that implies such. I am sure
> this
> is not a complete list, but for starters:
>
> One can be adopted, formally or informally, and take the name of the
> adoptive father and/or mother. One can choose or be assigned a new surname
> for a host of reasons, ranging from running from the law to moving from
> one
> culture into another that has different surname practices. Some slaves
> took
> their former master's names, many others took surnames of people they
> admired. Many people at Ellis Island were given new surnames because the
> American officials there found the actual names difficult. Names can be
> just
> flat made up from scratch. Many Navajos nowadays have the surname Begay,
> because when asked their names long ago, they gave their father's name and
> added "Begay," which means "his son" in Navajo.
>
> David Ewing
>
>
>
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--


Brian Caulfield

650 590 4713

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