Kear, Sept of Clan Kerr

[Kear04]

Hi all,

This may be a stab in the dark, but as my mother's maiden name was Kear, is it possible that we are related somehow, albeit distantly to the Clan Kerr?

We are beginning to compile our family tree, and would love to know if there may be any connection.

Any info much appreciated.

[SarahND]

Hi Kear04,
Welcome to Talking Scot!
Just wanted to welcome you while we're waiting for someone more knowledgeable to answer your question It will be interesting to hear if, as you go back in time on your family tree, whether Kear becomes Kerr I note that there are not many Kears on Scotland's People, and they get fewer as time goes on... Did many adopt a different spelling?

Census 1841 44
Census 1851 33
Census 1861 50
Census 1871 34
Census 1881 41
Census 1891 16
Census 1901 18
Old Parish Records Births & Christenings 1553 - 1854 133
Old Parish Records Banns & Marriages 1553 - 1854 97
Statutory Register Births 1855 - 2006 32
Statutory Register Marriages 1855 - 1932 24
Statutory Register Deaths 1855 - 2006 27
Wills & Testaments 1513 - 1901 3

All the best,
Sarah

[Chris Paton]

Hi Kear04,

George F. Black's "Surnames of Scotland" lists the following variants for Kerr:

Ker, kerr, Carr, Carre, Care, Car, Kar, Karr ("a genteel pronunciation of Kerr"), Keyr, Kayr, Kaurr, Kerre, Keor, Karre, and Kere.

Everything but Kear! I think you should find your answer easily enough though, once you start to work back, as you'll probably find surname variants emerging the further you go back.

Which neck of the woods do your Kears come from? FYI, the name Kerr isn't a Highland clan name, it is an old Borders name that spread to the Lothians and Roxburghshire. According to Black, it comes from old Norse 'kjarr', meaning a copsewood. (That's also how a modern day County Antrim man pronounces the word 'car'...!)

Chris

[HeatherH]

Hello Kear and welcome to Talking Scot,
My Grans side is Keir and I imagine your Kear's will probably run you the same merry chase as I am going through. I have found them as Keir, Kier, Kerr,Keer, Carr,Keirs,Kiers,Kerrs, Keers,Carrs . Sometimes in the same family for example brother in the same census. Or the registration of a Birth, Death or Marriage within a few years. The spelling of Surnames wasn't standardized till the 1900s really as it wasn't till then that more of our rellies could read and write and give a family spelling for a name.
As for belonging to a Clan. It takes more than a surname to make your particular family a part of a Clan. Not all Johnstones were part of the Johnstone Clan for example. It takes a bit of research and reading to understand it all. However, I know of a DNA project being done for the Haldane Clan. while the number of participants is still very small it took only 3 men to find that not all Haldanes will lead back to Gleneagles. There are 2 distinct sets of DNA patterns.
However that never stopped my Mum from Proudly displaying both the Johnstone and Haldane Clan histories at home. Each persons family tree is as individual as the person researching it. Depending on your purpose will depend on what you will want to research and how far is enough for you.
Although you say you are beginning to compile your tree I'm sure it won't be long before you are as adicted as the rest of us and scrambling to find out what really happened to great great Uncle Harry to make him leave Inverness for Renfrew. Or who was the father of Great , great, great Bessies oldest son.( many of us find a weee skeleton hidden away somewhere so much for those high Victorian morals)
I wish you all the best in your research and many successes.
Heather

[Kear04]

Thanks for all the kind replies - I'll keep you posted on what we discover!