Ah! Thank goodness for YOU... and for this List. I am digging deeper on the history of german letters and their sounds in german versus english sounds. Elaine and listers, have you any suggestions? This may help to stumble German and Samoan surnames in the South Pacific. Thanks! Regards, --Manaia Elaine O'Neill <elaineoneill1948@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Manaia, Regarding the name change from Maleschefsky to Mahl.......my Gr-gr-Grandfather never changed it. My Gr-Grandfather is the one who did and he seemed to use whichever name struck his fancy at the moment. He married using Mahl, but when my father was born and when he was baptized it was again Maleschefsky, and then when my father's sister was born it was again Mahl. My father had his name legally changed to Mahl in the 1940s. I don't know a lot about this side of my family. My father died when I was only 8 and my mother didn't keep in touch with his family afterward. Elaine --------------------------------- Sponsored Link For just $24.99/mo., Vonage offers unlimited local and long- distance calling. Sign up now.