The Original Spelling

The original family name was Essery, as spelled by John Essery when he settled in Kentucky around 1780. Over the subsequent generations, the spelling evolved into three main variants:

• Esarey - The most common spelling among Indiana descendants, particularly those who remained in Perry County
• Esrey - Common among branches that migrated to California and Missouri
• Esry - Found in various branches throughout the Midwest

The Essary Connection

The connection to families spelling their name Essary is more of a mystery but is thought to not be too distant, with the families parting ways before 1780. While John and Sarah's family moved west to Kentucky and settled on Doe Run, Essary ancestors moved west through Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with many ending up in Tennessee and Missouri.

Why Did Spellings Change?

In an era before standardized spelling, names were often recorded phonetically by census takers, clerks, and scribes who spelled what they heard. Factors that contributed to spelling variations include:

• Regional accents and pronunciation differences
• Literacy levels - many people couldn't spell their own names
• Different scribes recording the name over time
• Deliberate changes to differentiate family branches
• Immigration and migration to new regions