The purpose of the Carawan Mailing List is for the discussion and the sharing of information on Carawan family history and genealogy. Welcome to those researching the Carawan surname, or any of the spelling variations, anywhere and anytime. It is advisable in your family research, when checking an index, to check out every possible spelling. It must be remembered that early clerks, especially on a county level, were often only half literate themselves. And it can easily be imagined, that on hearing a name spoken with a brogue or a lilt different from their own, the spelling would suffer. Good hunting, and may you find that long lost relative in the next message. And anyone helping us discover our illusive Immigrant Ancestor and his place of origin will receive our eternal gratitude!

It has recently been found that the Carawan surname may be a variant spelling of the surname Kirwan, an early Gaelic family from County Galway, Ireland. We have also found that there is a very good possibility that the Carawan family of northeastern North Carolina can be traced back to Kirwans who arrived in Somerset Co., Maryland around 1650, shortly afterwards settling in neighboring Dorchester Co., Maryland. The research continues....

Hyde Co., NCGenWeb