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Hanvey or Henvey

Hi everyone,

My family name in Ireland was originally Hanvey and my great great grandfather was baptized as a Hanvey as was his siblings in County Down in the 1860s and 1870s. However, the civil birth registration records have them as Henvey and the 1901 and 1911 census have them as Henvey as well. Just was curious why did they change their name? Is it religious or political reasons? The family is Catholic. It seems my family’s descendants used Henvey and still use this spelling in Saint John’s Point and other parts of County Down or in other places in Ireland today. My particular family that came to the U.S. changed it further to Henry. Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

Chris

CJH0722

3 replies

Hi Chris,

Spelling variations in Irish records are common. Many people were illiterate. When a baby was baptized or a couple married, the priest wrote down what he heard. Accents varied. People made clerical errors. It was only later that spellings were standardized. In my own family, I have found many variations on the name Reilly, but the individuals all belonged to the same family. Ditto for Stewart/Steward/Steuart/Stuart. I hope this helps!

glanvil3@aol.com

Chris,

Adding to what Patricia has said, the idea of a single or correct spelling for a surname or a place name in Ireland is very much a recent phenomenon designed to meet the needs of modern officialdom. Before that there was no consistency. Names were spelled phonetically and each variation was down to the whim of the particular person recording the information. You will often see the spelling change as the records go back. This rarely indicates a deliberate decision to alter the name, nor even a mistake. Not everyone was literate, but even when they were, exact and consistent spelling simply wasn’t something they bothered about. In addition to varying the actual spelling, O’ or Mac prefixes were optional and were often omitted. 

In 1899, the Rev Smith reviewed the early records of Antrim 1st Presbyterian church (covering the years 1674 to c 1736). He noted: “Even the same word is not always spelled alike by the same hand. Indeed spelling with most of the recording officials (and they must have been fairly numerous) was a matter of the most sublime indifference. The name William, for instance, is spelled 3 different ways in as many lines; while Donegore, a neighbouring parish, is spelled 10 different ways; but these extend over a good number of years. Many families names are spelled phonetically, while others are given in the most round-about fashion.”

So expect spelling to vary. That was the norm.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for the answers!!

CJH0722

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