Does anyone have evolving surnames?

[pharmaT]

I have Collie that became Currie.

I also have a name that I believe changed from something else.  I can find no record of the name (McCorgray) before 1850s in Scotland.  They were born in Ireland.  No idea where or what the name started out as.

[Spidermonkey]

I did once (during a Scavenger Hunt, I recall) only find a missing relative because I adopted a heavy Norfolk accent and wrote their names as they would have been pronounced..........

So yes, Vicar a bit deaf, an unfamiliar accent, somebody hungover from the night before - the possibilities are endless!

[bykerlads]

Just try researching Spatchett... Various spellings and I often wonder if it transmuted into Patchett or similar!
PS: Any present day Spatchetts in Newcastle are likely to be lost branches of our tree.
Also, have often noticed that a slight mis-spelling of a common surname name indicates "poshness".
Eg: Armitage very common West Yorks, Armytage rather more posh local gentry
      Nevile not the common Neville
      Thynne
      Weste
Etc, etc..

[stevew101]

I have some Armitages

Spelt variously as Armitage, Armytage, Armintage and Armantage

All from Herts.

[Marmalady]

I have mentioned this before -- but in my mother's tree there is a family with the name Pizer -- so far she has collected over 60 variations on the spelling -- including Spicer and Spica

[sharonmx5]

I have some that were consistently spelt Launce but now seem to be spelt Lance. This is probably closer to the pronunciation.  Seems to be quite rare in my area now in any event.

I also have Pepper which seems to have originated as Pepyn.

[Greensleeves]

My Siggeswyke family became Sigswick (and various spelling alternatives), and thence Sidgwick. For a couple of generations it became Shedwick and Sigsworth, before reverting to Sidgwick; and a mis-spelling in the 1800s led to my maiden name being Sedgwick rather than Sidgwick.

[g eli]

The earliest ancestors I have found were Targoose and variations moving through Tearguse until settling for Targus.

[jaybelnz]

I have Collie that became Currie.

I also have a name that I believe changed from something else.  I can find no record of the name (McCorgray) before 1850s in Scotland.  They were born in Ireland.  No idea where or what the name started out as.

Pharma, my mother's maiden name was McAughtrie, with various different spellings. She was born in Scotland as were both her parents. It's also believed that the McAughtrie name came out of Ireland several generations further back!  The name was pronounced very like your McCorgray ... "McCortree"...