Surname Variation

The process of tracing a family tree can be a complicated and confusing task which can be made even more difficult by spelling variations in the surname. We tend to believe that we can follow a surname back hundreds of years to the first holder of the name, where each successive generation spells its surname in exactly the same way wherever it is recorded. This idea ends however, when we are confronted with the facts of genealogical research. Surnames, for the most part, have developed during the past eight hundred years and have been influenced by many factors.

Until the mid 18th century, English spelling was fluid and had no set form*. The spelling of a surname could therefore vary and was dependent upon the writer of the document, these days spelling is either right or wrong. It is also worth noting that literacy was not widespread before the late 19th century and an illiterate person would not have been able to tell if their surname was spelt correctly or not.

Tracing one’s ancestors back to the point where they first acquired a surname can be challenging, as surname spelling and pronunciation may have changed over the intervening centuries, making it possible that one’s present surname is not the same as that given to an ancestor.

Spelling variations of the original name or even a completely different surname may have occurred for the following reasons:

Marriage: - When a woman marries, she generally adopts her husband's name, giving up her maiden name. This is probably the biggest reason for a name change.

Accidental Changes: - These can occur when a name is entered on official documents. Clerks, census enumerators, clergymen or other officials, having misheard and/or misspelt the name. Similarities between sounds of letters lead to mistakes and it's not uncommon to find P and B confused F and V, DD and TH, or even Z with C or S.

Literacy: - Ancestors who couldn't read and write would not know how their names were spelt, only how to pronounce them. Therefore, when they gave their names to an official, that person wrote the name in the way that sounded correct to him.

Simplification: – Migrants whether within a country or to new country, could find that their name was difficult for others to spell or pronounce. They would therefore, simplify the spelling or alter their names to relate them more closely to the language and pronunciations of their new location.

Pronunciation: - Letters and syllables within a surname can be confused due to verbal mispronunciation or heavy accents.

Desire to break with the Past: - Migration accompanied by a change of name could be prompted by a desire to break with or escape the past.

Silent Letters: - Letters such as 'E' and 'Y' can come and go from the spelling of a surname.

Letter Transpositions: - Copied records and databases are prone to these spelling errors. Letter transpositions can still create a recognizable surname

Transcription: - These errors should be looked for in any transcribed records and databases, including dropped letters and in modern records adjacent letters on the keyboard. The more a record has been transcribed the more errors it is likely to have.

An interesting example of how the spelling of a surname has varied within a localised area is shown in the Halifax Parish Registers, Marriages 1538 – 1593.

Johes Mallynson Margareta Hoill	08 Aug 1557
Will Malynson et Johna Bentam	03 Sep 1565
Brian Otes et Genett Malynsonne	08 Jul 1566
Leonard Malysone et Alyce Sharpe	11 Dec 1575
Johne Malynsone et Alyce Bolland	25 Aug 1583
Johne Malynsone et Anne Lawe	21 Dec 1585
Leond Mallinson et Jenet Thornell	28 Apr 1593

“MALLINSON” Variants

In the table below I have shown, within the limits of my current knowledge, where each “Mallinson” variant originated and then compared these to the range of names given in the 1881 Census.

Examples of “MALLINSON” Variants

		Lancashire	Yorkshire	1881 Census
1	MALANSON			1		Wales
2	MALASSON			4		Durham
3	MALEINSON	1313 - 1335 Wavertree⁽¹⁾		X
4	MALENSON			8		Lanarkshire
5	MALESONN		1679 Burnsall⁽²⁾	X
6	MALESSON	1313 - 1335 Slyne⁽³⁾		X
7	MALIENSON		1800 Hartshead⁽⁴⁾	X
8	MALIN	1660 Wrexham⁽⁵⁾		999		Widespread
9	MALINGSON		1631 Gawthorpe⁽⁶⁾
10	MALINSON		1561 Almondbury⁽⁷⁾	45, 8, 7		Yorks, Westm, Warw
11	MALINSONN		1597/98 Almondbury⁽⁸⁾	X
12	MALISON		1570 Almondbury⁽⁹⁾	6, 3, 6		Cumb, Middx, Glam
13	MALISSON		1587 Rotherham⁽¹⁰⁾	X
14	MALKINSON	1313 - 1335 Great Crosby⁽¹¹⁾	1609 Flathouse⁽¹²⁾	20, 2, 65, 21		Cumb, Lancs, Lincs, Yorks
15	MALKYNSON	1535 Penwortham⁽¹³⁾		X
16	MALLASON			1		Surrey
17	MALLE	c. 1290 – 1339 Longton⁽¹⁴⁾		2, 16, 2		Middx, Warw, Yorks
18	MALLENSON		1566 Thorne⁽¹⁵⁾	2, 2, 3		Lancs, Staffs, Yorks
19	MALLESON	1328, 1340, 1348⁽¹⁶⁾		10, 14, 10		Lancs, Middx, Surrey
20	MALLESONE	1285 Culcheth⁽¹⁷⁾	1673 Brodsworth⁽¹⁸⁾	X
21	MALLESONN		1678 Burnsall⁽¹⁹⁾	X
22	MALLEYSON	1809 Gauksholme⁽²⁰⁾		X
23	MALLIESON	1851 Census		1, 1		Hunts, Surrey
24	MALLINGSON		1796 Snaith⁽²¹⁾	1		York
25	MALLINGTONE	1617 Winwick⁽²²⁾		X
26	MALLINSOM		1603 Wath U Dearne⁽²³⁾	4		Westmorland
27	MALLINSON		1374 Rastrick⁽²⁴⁾	2473		W Yorks 1762, Lancs 327, Cumb 75,
28	MALLINSONN		1599 Wath u Dearne⁽²⁵⁾	X
29	MALLINSONNE		1581 Almondbury⁽²⁶⁾	X
30	MALLISON	1714 Turton⁽²⁷⁾	1609 Dearscroft⁽²⁸⁾	308	Widespread
31	MALLISONN		1612 Snaith⁽²⁹⁾	X
32	MALLISSON		1639/40 Birstall⁽³⁰⁾	X
33	MALLISSONS			5		Lancs
34	MALLONSON			5		WR Yorks
35	MALLSON		1629 Maltby⁽³¹⁾	1, 1		Notts, Middx
36	MALLYESON		1620 Kippax⁽³²⁾	X
37	MALLYNSON		1547 Almondbury⁽³³⁾	X
38	MALLYSON	1723 Croftend⁽³⁴⁾	1693 Linton⁽³⁵⁾	X
39	MALYN	1323 Hale⁽³⁶⁾	1308 Rastrick⁽³⁷⁾	21, 7, 5, 2, 1, 2, 1	S Wales, Essex, Kent, Middx, Warw, Suffork
40	MALYNSON		1350 Rastrick⁽³⁸⁾	X
41	MALYNSONE	1349 Hale⁽³⁹⁾	1583 Halifax⁽⁴⁰⁾	X
42	MALYNSONNE		1566 Halifax⁽⁴¹⁾	X
43	MALYSON		1555 Rastrick⁽⁴²⁾	X
44	MALYSONE		1575 Halifax⁽⁴³⁾	X
45	MAYLERSONE	1285 Reygate⁽⁴⁴⁾		X

References:

*Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), 40,000 entries, illustrative quotations, model for OED

^{(1),
(3) & (11)}. Inquests, Extents, and Feudal Aids, 1313-1335. Abstracts of Lancashire Inquests Post Mortem and Ad Quod Damnum, Feudal Aids, Rentals and Extents: Wavertree, Slyne, Great Crosby.

^{(2) & (19)}. Parish Registers of Burnsall, St. Mary's Chapel Baptisms 1567-1812.

⁽⁴⁾. Parish Registers Registers of Hartshead, Baptisms 1654-1812.

⁽⁵⁾. Chester Wills and Inventories, Court of Probate, 1660 - 1680. List of the Wills Now Preserved in the Probate Court, Chester, From the Year 1660 to 1680 Inclusive.

^{(6),
(12),
(28) & (38). The History of the Mallinson Family, G.
Redmonds.}

^{(7), (8), (9)}^{& (26)}. Parish Registers of Almondbury 1557-1598 Volume 1 Part 1 1581/82, Baptisms.

⁽¹⁰⁾. Parish Registers of All Saints Rotherham, Deaths 1587.

⁽¹³⁾. Penwortham – Nottinghamshire Coroners’ Inquests, 1485 – 1558

⁽¹⁴⁾. The Norris Deeds: (d) Grants by Rob. Malleson and his s. Ad. to Alan le Norreys 1328 - 1349.

⁽¹⁵⁾. Parish Registers of St Nicholas Thorne, Deaths 1566.

⁽¹⁶⁾. Lancashire Record Office: Farington of Worden, Leyland.

⁽¹⁷⁾. Calendar of Assize Rolls, 1284 - 1363.

⁽¹⁸⁾. Parish Registers of Brodsworth 1538 – 1813, Marriages.

⁽²⁰⁾. Todmorden (St. Mary) - Parish Register, 1781 - 1812 Burials.

⁽²¹⁾. East Riding of Yorkshire Archives and Records Service: Rawcliffe - ref. DDCL/2311-2478.

⁽²²⁾. Parish Registers of Winwick, Baptisms, 1563 - 1620; Marriages and Burials, 1600-1620.

^(23)
&⁽²⁵⁾. Parish Registers of Wath upon Dearne, Baptisms 1598 - 1778.

⁽²⁴⁾