Mc Mac and M'

Question

I have just started on Wikitree and I've already hit a problem which a peculiarly Scottish/Irish one.

I have information from a Victorian book which refers to James Smellie's wife Frances, daughter of Hugh M'Minn.  Now Victorian books often used M' where the later convention was to use Mc (mainly in the south of Scotland, and often for names originating from Ireland) or Mac (predominantly in the north of Scotland, usually for the names of the Highland Scottish clans).

So I've thoughtlessly created a profile for a Frances M'Minn.  Should I have created McMinn instead, given that that seems to be the standard spelling used in the area of Scotland in which they lived?  At present I don't have any further information than what is in the book about either her or her father, though I may *possibly* get some within a few days.

Answer 1

There is a Scottish Clans project which may be able to help you.  I would add either McMinn or MacMinn as an alternate surname.

Comments

Having done some more browsing around on Wikitree (I'm a newbie, remember) - it appears the answer I needed was to add McMinn as an "Other Name" and mark it "uncertain".

Answer 2

Hi Peter

The use of M'Minn was simply a shortened form of McMinn or MacMinn which, as you suggests tends to be regionaly based although is actually interchangeably used.  I note you are the Profile Manager for both Francis and High and thus you can simply change the LNAB to McMinn.  Hit the Edit tab and you will see, where it says Last Name at Birth, an edit option.  Use this to change the LNAB to McMinn.

Answer 3

Hi Peter,

There is a subtle difference between Scottish and Irish Gaelic in the naming convention for female gaelic names. The rule of thumb for Irish Gaelic is the easy way to remember it it, it's "Nic" if the masculine form of the surname begins with "Mac." It's "Ni" if the masculine form begins with an Ó.

Whereas in Scottish Gaelic it is just Ni for a female.

All the best

Billy