Genealogy Chat

I was told recently, by someone in the Dumfries family history centre, that centuries ago a Graham family was trying to escape from the Macdonald clan and turned their name backwards thus calling themselves Mcharg. I can find no trace of this when I google the Mcharg surname. Does anyone know if there is any truth in this ? Cath.

I don't know if there is any truth in your tale, but the reverse of Graham is Maharg and there are lots of people of that name. Jennifer

If you spell the name backwards it becomes MAHARG, and NOT McHarg. If you google 'Maharg+surname' you get results. Kath. x

Thanks - I just wondered. Quite a few of my Graham ancestors have Mcharg as a middle name but it's definitely Mcharg and not Maharg. Thanks anyway. Cath.

When you buy a packet of Trebor mints do you wonder where the name comes from? Or clothes from Etam? Reversing names has always been popular for some strange reason. It makes me wonder whether TV's Alan Yentob has done the same.

I decend from a McHarg line It is MCHARG and it was they who changed their name to Grahem and moved to Ireland to escape something (ill have to ask my nan for a reminder on why!!) They then moved back and changed their name back to McHarg and they actually came back with Robert the Bruce. Thats the story that has been passed down my line anyhow.

Paul No, Yentob is a pukka Jewish name. Scottish Ancestry is incredibly difficult, so I understand, because the Scots changed their names with the wind, being known in one valley by one name and in the next valley they called themselves something else. Throw in name changes that occurred out of a wish to be disassociated and the result is a nightmare. Good luck! OC

Just checked on what we know. The McHarg family down our line came from the Isle Of Bute and fled to Ireland during Robert the Bruce era when there was a lot of fighting and such. When moving over they changed their name to graham which was as near as possible to the backward spelling of McHarg. Sometime within that period they came back to Scotland and changed their name back to Mcharg. They came back with Robert the Bruce and his lifetime was 1274-1329 so that all happened within that time. Jack

And to make Scottish genealogy even more challenging, I'm told that some of the northern isles used matronyms or patronyms until very recently! Christine

There is this.... McHarg Surname Welsh, Cornish British, and Gaelic) The son of the brave or the handsome. Mac 'Arg. Georgina.

tlas fo hcnip a htiw ti taert

Jack Not wishing to be rude, but where did you get your info from? How sound is your source? Is this your own research? I have my English family (my own research) back to 1179 ON PAPER. However, there are many missing links in it, and whilst it is nice to ASSUME they are 'mine' it really isnt worth the paper its written on, till I prove those dodgy links. OC

The story about the McHargs said above has been passed down the family - my great grandmother was a McHarg and my grandmother told me the story. Maybe my source isnt reliable at all but my nan said thats what she was told by her family and thats been passed down. Jack

This is interesting as my Mum`s cousin-who`s surname was Graham called their house 'Maharg' Ros