General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Found it interesting that Sen. John Kennedy (LA) isn't really a Kennedy. [View all]pnwmom
(110,306 posts)My father ran into this when doing genealogy.
"In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Kannady has appeared as Kennedy, Kannady, Kenardy, Kennaday, Kenneday, Kenneyday, Kennediem, MacKennedy, MacUalraig (Gaelic) and many more.
SNIP
"Migration of the Kannady family
The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them: Alexander Kennedy settled in Charleston in 1763; Alexander Kennedy settled in Virginia in 1774; Angus Kennedy settled in New York in 1775; Hector Kennedy settled in Philadelphia in 1806."
https://www.houseofnames.com/kannady-family-crest