I have just recently started working on my late husband's Irish ancestors. It has been rough going because I only had a few scraps of information to go on and the family seems quite reluctant to share any information. I do know that his paternal grandmother's maiden name was McAllion. I recently learned the names of some of her siblings and have found some US census information that seems a good likelihood of being the correct family. My question is this: In the early censuses right after they immigrated, the family name is spelled McAllen, but then changes to McAllion. Would McAllen in Irish sound like McAllion to an American census taker? I'm trying to determine the most likely spelling in Irish records. I did also learn that one of her brother was born in Donegal. Also, can someone point me to a good explanation of Irish naming tradition? Any help appreciated. Patti in Mississippi All incoming and outgoing mail scanned for viruses by PC-Cillin.