The c in Surnames

[dyannam]

Is there a difference between a raised and unraised c in someones surname? I was told the a raised c in a name indicates Scottish descent, and the opposite is Irish descent. Is this true?

[aNonnyMoose]

No.

[Polwarth]

neither is it true that Mac 'proves' you are Scots and Mc 'proves' you are Irish.

[Scotsgait]

Originally Posted by dyannam

Is there a difference between a raised and unraised c in someones surname? I was told the a raised c in a name indicates Scottish descent, and the opposite is Irish descent. Is this true?

As you will find that those who are "Mac" followed by a lower case letter (eg, Mackenzie, Macdonald, Macleod etc) generally have some, perhaps distant, connection with in the Highlands and Islands, I think it's clear that what you were told is completely wrong.

[dyannam]

I figured it was hogwash but my husband's family is very insistent that the c be raised when writing the name. They claim it does make a difference.

My husband has been trying to research his family lines and has always had the impression that they came from Ireland. We have gone back as far as Nova Scotia, Canada but came to a dead end with an adoption. I do know that area had a huge Scottish immigration so I thought I'd check some leads.

Whatever makes my husband happy makes the rest of us happy.

[aNonnyMoose]

It makes no difference at all, and has absolutely no significance.

Ask them why then, in both Scotland and Ireland about 200 years ago, in many cases the c was missed out altogether and the name rendered M'Glashan or M'Donald?

More spurious pseudo-mythology...

[dyannam]

It makes you wonder why and/or how all these beliefs get started. I read somewhere that the original McCaul name spelling was nothing close to it. I get the dropping of letters at Ellis Isle because of accents, laziness, disregard, etc. but the whole Mac, Mc, Mc (raised), and M' thing. I don't get how the whole thing gets twisted.

Wishful thinking maybe? Maybe one part of the family became so endeared to a culture that they tried to make whatever connections they could to that culture?

I love ancient civilizations like Egypt but I can nor will make no blood claims to it! I guess that whatever makes you happy go for it, it isn't causing any real harm.