Hi Thanks to Carol J markillie. I don't find your theory "funny"; it's just that in my case the research involved is rather daunting as the region involved [north-eastern France] has been a main invasion and transit route since the earliest times, with all the concomitant upheavals and even chaos that that implies. However,I did come across an interesting notion that the name BLIGNAUT may have originated from the commune of Bligny. There are two towns with this name in France: one in the Aube and the other in the Marne Department. However, the early records of Bligny in the Marne were destroyed in the First World War. Anybody who is interested in the origin of French surnames may find the following site of interest: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/surname/a/french_surnames.htm Excuse me if you have known about this site for many years! There is another: http://jeantosti.com/noms/a.htm It's in French, but if you click on the initial [in the long rectangular box] of the surname in which you are interested, you might find the results useful. Isn't Hanne Thorup Koudal lucky! He doesn't have to speculate for too long: BLOND/LEBLOND = flaxen-haired ancestor. Best wishes Martin Blignaut -- Martin moslins1@fastmail.fm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - A fast, anti-spam email service.