The Official NBA Thread

[LA Ute]

I meant being a Scot, but you are probably right.

I think being a Scot has been mostly a state of mind after James 1 became king. The dividing line got blurrier and blurrier over the decades after that. When Bonnie Prince Charlie failed to retake the throne most Scots decided they were British now.

Funny family story: After the Battle of Culloden (when Charlie’s dreams were dashed forever) the English cracked down on Scottish customs and even persecuted people whose surnames were very Gaelic-sounding. In order to survive, be able to get jobs, etc., many Scottish people (including my ancestors) changed their names to ones like Brown, Green, White, etc. If you have strong Scottish ancestry and your surname is one of those, it probably was another name prior to about Culloden in 1750. (Our family name was McGonigle.) Anyway, my third great grandfather was so angry at the English for causing the loss of the family name that he christened my great-great grandfather with two given names -- Cambell McLeod. We have no Campbells or McLeods in our family line. He just wanted to make a statement with two very Gaelic/Scottish names for his son. Those two given names persist in my family to this day. Alba gu bràth!

[Rocker Ute]

I think being a Scot has been mostly a state of mind after James 1 became king. The dividing line got blurrier and blurrier over the decades after that. When Bonnie Prince Charlie failed to retake the throne most Scots decided they were British now.

Funny family story: After the Battle of Culloden (when Charlie’s dreams were dashed forever) the English cracked down on Scottish customs and even persecuted people whose surnames were very Gaelic-sounding. In order to survive, be able to get jobs, etc., many Scottish people (including my ancestors) changed their names to ones like Brown, Green, White, etc. If you have strong Scottish ancestry and your surname is one of those, it probably was another name prior to about Culloden in 1750. (Our family name was McGonigle.) Anyway, my third great grandfather was so angry at the English for causing the loss of the family name that he christened my great-great grandfather with two given names -- Cambell McLeod. We have no Campbells or McLeods in our family line. He just wanted to make a statement with two very Gaelic/Scottish names for his son. Those two given names persist in my family to this day. Alba gu bràth!

Hmmm... my mother's line are Blacks (the name) going back to the same area and time period. My last name is Dutch but my ancestors are German. They trace back to a German town named Rindern and it ends there. I found an article about the history of the sea port town which for a long period of time was controlled by the Dutch royalty. It noted that many Germans there changed their names to Dutch names to ingratiate themselves to the Dutch royalty.

I think we know why the name dead ends there.

So that'd mean I'm coming from brown nosers on both sides.

You guys are great by the way.


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[LA Ute]

Hmmm... my mother's line are Blacks (the name) going back to the same area and time period. My last name is Dutch but my ancestors are German. They trace back to a German town named Rindern and it ends there. I found an article about the history of the sea port town which for a long period of time was controlled by the Dutch royalty. It noted that many Germans their changed their names to Dutch names to ingratiate themselves to the Dutch royalty.

I think we know why the name dead ends there.

So that'd mean I'm coming from brown nosers on both sides.

You guys are great by the way.


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If your Black surname is Scottish in origin and you can’t find any ancestors in that line prior to the mid-1700s, chances are you had some Highlander rebel ancestors with a name like MacRocker. Don’t blame them; they were just trying to fit in.


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[chrisrenrut]

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