This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Durman, Durrman, Durmann, Durhman, Derman Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mBU.2ACEB/22.2 Message Board Post: Hello Angela, Good luck on finding more about your DURMAN ancestry. I've been doing research on our DURMAN line for almost 30 years! I've never run across the names Chester or Joseph. Now, a question. What kind of documentation do you have for Joseph immigrated from Poland? Mind you, I'm not questioning your information, just curious as to how you know he came from Poland. We have our DURMAN line documented back to about 1750 in Montgomery Co., VA. They were to be found in that county and in Wythe, Smythe, Culpeper, and other counties nearby. We are at a dead end beyond one William DURMAN who married in Montgomery Co., in 1750. As to your ancestor being Polish, that is entirely possible. We have found, and corresponded with, Durman individuals in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey. We have also found the name in France, Germany, England (many, many in the UK), and The Sudan. The name is always spelled exactly as DURMAN (of course there are variant spellings in all those countries, such DURRMAN, DURMANN, DURHMAN, DERMAN, etc.); but, the most people found have the name DURMAN. I corresponded with a DURMAN in Serbia and he has no clue as to where his ancestors came from. He says the "family lore" is that they came into Serbia from somewhere in the northeast, which could be any of the Slavic countries. I found some DURMAN's in California and Oregon who "know" where their ancestors came from! Seems a man escaped from one of the previous Soviet-bloc countries (don't remember which one now, but I "think" it was Poland), whose name was not DURMAN. As part of his escape, he took an aunt's name, DURMAN. He arrived in the USA with that name, and his descendants still carry it. But, at least he had a DURMAN relative in whatever country he escaped from. You didn't give any dates in your post, and they would help immensely in figuring out it your DURMAN branch connects with ours, since we think our branch arrived at PA also. As to the name being shortened from some other name, I don't believe that was the case. It seems that DURMAN's in this country have always been DURMAN's. (Grin) If you wish, you can reply to me privately at: georgewdurman@comcast.net Regards, George W. Durman DURMAN Message Board Administrator