Hi everyone, I could use some advice. Here is my story... John Elvie Scott was brought to the US by his father (name unknown) from Scotland. The family story says that John's father was in trouble with the law, fled Scotland, and changed his name from Lowell to Scott. John was the only child he brought with him, leaving his wife and other children in Scotland. The only time line I have is that John had a son, Louis Elvie Scott, born 1880 in Illinois (USA). My questions are: Is Lowell a common name in Scotland? When (and how) did people change names? in the country of origin before boarding a ship, or when they arrived in the US, or both? Does anyone know where I can find a list of port cities in Scotland? I would also welcome any advice from others that have had similar problems in research. Thanks, Judy Scott-Blum [email protected]