Yes, the name misspellings can be a hoot, though it can also make people a lot harder to track! My first Irish ancestor to come to the States was Martin O’Meagher. At Ellis Island he spelled it “Maher” to the official, wanting it to look more like it sounded. The O’ was dropped entirely.
The funniest name in my line is Bumpas. We used to laugh at my Grandmothers grandmothers name when we were kids. Made her mad! LOL If only she had known that it started out de Bompasse.
“Yes, the name misspellings can be a hoot..”
I don’t believe there is such a thing as standardized spelling, during the times of America’s settlement.
I have ancestors whereby brothers would spell their surname differently during their lives.
And where a person would spell his surname different ways, during his lifetime.
Starratt, Starrat, Starat, Sterrett, Sterritt, etc.
From the Scottish village of Stair, Ayrshire...via Derry Ireland, Boston MA (1718), Nutfield/Londonderry NH, Falmouth ME, Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Monticello MN, and thence by car to SoCal in 1928 with three generations aboard. In a nutshell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stair,_East_Ayrshire