Paul, It pays to be flexible with regard to spelling when doing genealogical research. The concept of there being only one way to spell a word or name, which all of us encounter at school, is a fairly recent development (say within the last 200 years). Names, whether given names or surnames, especially in multi-lingual environments such as Alsace and large parts of Lorraine, were spelled in a wide variety of ways depending in large part on who was holding the pen. You mentioned the -in suffix on the surnames of women. This practice certainly wasn't uniform. Its use was essentially applying grammatical rules for the formation of the feminine form of a noun to surnames. Here are some common German professions in the masculine/feminine forms: Lehrer/Lehrerin; Künstler/Künstlerin; Mechaniker/Mechanikerin; Sekretär/Sekretärin; Kellner/Kellnerin; Klempner/Klempnerin; Krankenpfleger/Krankenpflegerin; Kassierer/Kassiererin; Polizist/Polizistin; Tierarzt/Tierärztin; Musiker/Musikerin; Wissenschaftler/Wissenschaftlerin; Zimmerer/Zimmerin; Bergarbeiter/Bergarbeiterin; Landwirt/Landwirtin; Zahnarzt/Zahnärztin; Koch/Köchin; Schauspieler/Schauspielerin; Arzt/Ärztin; Journalist/Journalistin; Elektriker/Elektrikerin; Politiker/Politikerin; Verkäufer/Verkäuferin; Bäcker/Bäckerin; Raumpfleger/Raumpflegerin; Modeschöpfer/Modeschöpferin; Richter/Richterin; Architekt/Architektin We do the same thing in English, though not to the same extent: waiter/waitress; actor/actress; steward/stewardess. What you don't see in English is a modification of a person's surname based on his/her gender. The way it was applied to a name varied. Ringenbach might be rendered Ringenbächin, while Negele could be rendered Negelin or Neglerin. So in some cases (as you see in the list of professions) you would have both an alteration of the vowel (o to ö or a to ä) and the addtion of the -in suffix, but in some cases they added -erin. Some possible variations you didn't mention for your mother's name: Hirtzl, Hirzl, Hirtzlin, Hirzlin. And that doesn't take into account the possibility that the root could be spelled with a ü instead of the i. Robert Behra -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, Jun 17, 2011 5:09 am Subject: [A-L] Hirtzel My mother's surname is Hirtzel. I have documents of known family members that have quite a variety of variations in surnames. For the men, it includes Hirtzel and Hirzel (but not Hirz), and for the women, it includes Hirtzelin and Hirzelin and Hirzin. I understand about the "in" that is added to women's maiden names. I take it that this variation in names is to be expected? And that, when looking for records online, I should include all of these possible variations? Thanks. Paul -- Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks for your help. best, Paul On Dé hAoine, 17 Meitheamh, 2011, at 12:31, [email protected] wrote: > Paul, > > It pays to be flexible with regard to spelling when doing genealogical > research. The concept of there being only one way to spell a word or > name, which all of us encounter at school, is a fairly recent > development (say within the last 200 years). Names, whether given > names or surnames, especially in multi-lingual environments such as > Alsace and large parts of Lorraine, were spelled in a wide variety of > ways depending in large part on who was holding the pen. > > You mentioned the -in suffix on the surnames of women. This practice > certainly wasn't uniform. Its use was essentially applying grammatical > rules for the formation of the feminine form of a noun to surnames. > Here are some common German professions in the masculine/feminine forms: > > Lehrer/Lehrerin; Künstler/Künstlerin; Mechaniker/Mechanikerin; > Sekretär/Sekretärin; Kellner/Kellnerin; Klempner/Klempnerin; > Krankenpfleger/Krankenpflegerin; Kassierer/Kassiererin; > Polizist/Polizistin; Tierarzt/Tierärztin; Musiker/Musikerin; > Wissenschaftler/Wissenschaftlerin; Zimmerer/Zimmerin; > Bergarbeiter/Bergarbeiterin; Landwirt/Landwirtin; Zahnarzt/Zahnärztin; > Koch/Köchin; Schauspieler/Schauspielerin; Arzt/Ärztin; > Journalist/Journalistin; Elektriker/Elektrikerin; > Politiker/Politikerin; Verkäufer/Verkäuferin; Bäcker/Bäckerin; > Raumpfleger/Raumpflegerin; Modeschöpfer/Modeschöpferin; > Richter/Richterin; Architekt/Architektin > > We do the same thing in English, though not to the same extent: > waiter/waitress; actor/actress; steward/stewardess. What you don't see > in English is a modification of a person's surname based on his/her > gender. > > The way it was applied to a name varied. Ringenbach might be rendered > Ringenbächin, while Negele could be rendered Negelin or Neglerin. So > in some cases (as you see in the list of professions) you would have > both an alteration of the vowel (o to ö or a to ä) and the addtion of > the -in suffix, but in some cases they added -erin. > > Some possible variations you didn't mention for your mother's name: > Hirtzl, Hirzl, Hirtzlin, Hirzlin. And that doesn't take into account > the possibility that the root could be spelled with a ü instead of the > i. > > Robert Behra > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, Jun 17, 2011 5:09 am > Subject: [A-L] Hirtzel > > > My mother's surname is Hirtzel. > > I have documents of known family members that have quite a variety of > variations > in surnames. > > For the men, it includes Hirtzel and Hirzel (but not Hirz), and for the > women, > it includes Hirtzelin and Hirzelin and Hirzin. > > I understand about the "in" that is added to women's maiden names. > > I take it that this variation in names is to be expected? > > And that, when looking for records online, I should include all of > these > possible variations? > > Thanks. > > Paul > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the > body of > the message > > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks for your help. best, Paul On Dé hAoine, 17 Meitheamh, 2011, at 12:31, [email protected] wrote: > Paul, > > It pays to be flexible with regard to spelling when doing genealogical > research. The concept of there being only one way to spell a word or > name, which all of us encounter at school, is a fairly recent > development (say within the last 200 years). Names, whether given > names or surnames, especially in multi-lingual environments such as > Alsace and large parts of Lorraine, were spelled in a wide variety of > ways depending in large part on who was holding the pen. > > You mentioned the -in suffix on the surnames of women. This practice > certainly wasn't uniform. Its use was essentially applying grammatical > rules for the formation of the feminine form of a noun to surnames. > Here are some common German professions in the masculine/feminine forms: > > Lehrer/Lehrerin; Künstler/Künstlerin; Mechaniker/Mechanikerin; > Sekretär/Sekretärin; Kellner/Kellnerin; Klempner/Klempnerin; > Krankenpfleger/Krankenpflegerin; Kassierer/Kassiererin; > Polizist/Polizistin; Tierarzt/Tierärztin; Musiker/Musikerin; > Wissenschaftler/Wissenschaftlerin; Zimmerer/Zimmerin; > Bergarbeiter/Bergarbeiterin; Landwirt/Landwirtin; Zahnarzt/Zahnärztin; > Koch/Köchin; Schauspieler/Schauspielerin; Arzt/Ärztin; > Journalist/Journalistin; Elektriker/Elektrikerin; > Politiker/Politikerin; Verkäufer/Verkäuferin; Bäcker/Bäckerin; > Raumpfleger/Raumpflegerin; Modeschöpfer/Modeschöpferin; > Richter/Richterin; Architekt/Architektin > > We do the same thing in English, though not to the same extent: > waiter/waitress; actor/actress; steward/stewardess. What you don't see > in English is a modification of a person's surname based on his/her > gender. > > The way it was applied to a name varied. Ringenbach might be rendered > Ringenbächin, while Negele could be rendered Negelin or Neglerin. So > in some cases (as you see in the list of professions) you would have > both an alteration of the vowel (o to ö or a to ä) and the addtion of > the -in suffix, but in some cases they added -erin. > > Some possible variations you didn't mention for your mother's name: > Hirtzl, Hirzl, Hirtzlin, Hirzlin. And that doesn't take into account > the possibility that the root could be spelled with a ü instead of the > i. > > Robert Behra > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, Jun 17, 2011 5:09 am > Subject: [A-L] Hirtzel > > > My mother's surname is Hirtzel. > > I have documents of known family members that have quite a variety of > variations > in surnames. > > For the men, it includes Hirtzel and Hirzel (but not Hirz), and for the > women, > it includes Hirtzelin and Hirzelin and Hirzin. > > I understand about the "in" that is added to women's maiden names. > > I take it that this variation in names is to be expected? > > And that, when looking for records online, I should include all of > these > possible variations? > > Thanks. > > Paul > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the > body of > the message > > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message