At 05:57 PM 3/3/01 -0800, Carolyn wrote: >This is just my idea, but I think "Hance" was simply >another interpretion and variation on Hans. Hi - I agree. If Colonial Swedes spoke as their descendants do now, they would have pronounced "Hans" as "Hance," not "Hanz." Then, written as heard by an English person, it would become "Hance" on paper. I wouldn't be surprised if this were true of the Dutch and Germans as well. Isabel