> I am 22 years young and I have been told that my last name isn't > what it is. I haven't got much information cause nobody seems to > know or willing to talk, but is there a way that I can work back > from the name I have now to find what it was originally? I think it > is kind of a stretch, but shouldn't it be registered with the > government when it was changed? I have no idea what I am talking > about, so any help on researching and what not would be greatly > appreciated. > > tsting321@yahoo.com (Stinger) You need to give us more information - like what is the name, and what area of the country did they settle in. What nationality are we talking about - often names evolved because of pronounciation or they were actually translated into English. It's possible this name change could have been officially recorded, but probably not.... Go to the library and get some how to genealogy books. When you find the one you like, buy it for reference at home. Join the Gen-newbie list at rootsweb.com As with any genealogy project, you need to start at the begining - start with yourself and work backwards. Get your parent's Birth/Marriage/Death certificates, then back to the previous generation. You might see this name change on one of these certificates. If you have more information, please post it here so we have something to go on. Lisa llepore@juno.com