Early American colonists exhibited unique and unconventional spellings, which influenced the way they pronounced names. This trend was especially apparent in Virginia, where prominent families would often alter the pronunciation of their last names in surprising ways. For instance, Sclater was pronounced as Slaughter, while Munford took on the pronunciation of Mumfud.

This pattern extended to other surnames as well. Names like Randolph became Randall, Wyatt shifted to Wait, and Devereaux was pronounced as Deverecks. Such variations led to unexpected pronunciations, with names like Callowhill evolving into Carroll and Taliaferro becoming the less recognizable Tolliver. These changes reflect the unique linguistic development in early American society.