Boy, talk about how names can change with time! I found the birth record for my great-great-great-great-grandfather, born 25 Sep 1769 in Liptovska Teplicka, which is near Poprad, Slovakia. I didn't expect to find it spelled this way, tho! Grandpa used the spelling "Yanik" in the 1930s and great-grandpa used the spelling "Janik" when he came over in the 1900s, and that spelling was consistent for 100 years. But before 1800, the spelling starts showing up as "Janicz", and before 1780 as "Janiczkow" Am I correct in seeing a Polish influence in that spelling? Could the old family stories be true - that although Slovak, we are descenfed from Polish nobility? Thanx, Paul paulochi@alpha.betac-stl.com