I long ago accepted that Slepicka became Slepica became Chicken. I accepted that Matej became Michael though people like to remind that it translates to Matthew. Clearly my grandpa didn't care much for that name, but he did like Michael and he took Michael almost immediately upon arriving in Chicago. The entire family also took on Chicken and floated back and forth between Chicken and Slepica for a long long time, the "k" was early on dropped at the wayside. I know to look for all three surnames when reviewing records. I guess what I am really thinking is that it's nice to know the "meaning" of a name, the "translation" of a name, the "variations" of a name, but there simply is no hard and fast rule that our families followed. If there was, there was not a chance on green earth that Matej Slepicka was going to become Michael Chicken at age 12 almost immediately after he and his parents and grandparents set foot on American soil. I always wonder why I am searching for definitions of names here and never even thought of looking for similar meanings to attach to maternal German family names. After all, it was my mother who took a baby book and deliberately chose Elaine because I was her first child,a small "Goddess of Light". Now's that most likely Old French, or possibly Greek, a few others can claim it as well, in origin. Maybe I better tell people what happened so as not to confuse issues. And I guess I never looked for George and Irene, my American born grandparents (to German immigrant parents) because those are "American" names. And WHAT of that photograph of my grandmother with the photographer's notation on the reverse, "Ereeny", I think he spelled the name precisely as it was sounded in the German community. But I have records with the "proper" spelling Irene. My baby sister's name, named after my mother's mother and born in a later America, is clearly pronounced I-rene. It's a long quest we all try to make here. I am not sure there is an answer. Elaine (Elena) Hello Lorraine On Tuesday, March 28, 2006, you wrote > At 01:25 PM 3/28/2006, you wrote: >>It is interesting and probably proves that our >>grandparents and earlier didn't much care what >>people called them <smile>. I am 100 years old >>(not quite, but getting there), and I am among >>those left over from an earlier time who also >>don't much care if people get the name right or >>wrong. It is important to many, it is not >>important to me. I don't think it was important to >>my family in the 1800s and 1900s. I suspect it is >>government and business that has made spellings >>(and dossier/social security numbers) an important >>matter, an ability to trace and identify people. > It has been a problem for me in searching for > my father's family -- place > and spelling are a curse which I hope to > overcome during my lifetime!!! I > am not quite 100 yet and getting there fast. > I hope I don't have to wait > until I meet with my father on the other side <LOL> > Take care -- TTFN > Lorraine Moore > Baton Rouge, LA