Hello Martin: I work on what may seem to be a funny theory - I think all names originally meant something i.e. a location, a performance someone did (warrior, healer, etc), so as surnames started being 'awarded' about 1100, I go into the region where the name came from, look for any similar names, then go to the history books and find out what has gone on there that the name would have come into being. It is difficult to look for old French, Saxon, German, Flemish words but it is surprising how much information you can find out, particularly if the area is quite small. Also, the surname has changed through the ages, depending on who was ruling your bit of country - if you can search back and see what it was in the 1200s, say, you can probably find something about it in one of the old heraldry books or books on the battles or other things that happened in your area. It takes a bit of detective work and what you come up with may be argued against but at least it gives you an idea. Good Hunting - Carol

Hi, My Experience is that the huguenotnames did not change much after 1600-2006, except when people translated their names into another language, when crossing a border. The other exception is, that the name could undergo inrecognazable change, when people left the huguenot colony, and started to live among ordinary Germans or Danes/Swedish people. And in Gr. Britain too. Another thing wich happened were the lack of the first part of the name and changing from one to two words or the oppisite: Le Blond became Blond Desmarets became de Marest and vice versa. Also B/P and C/G could change: Bettac to Pettach or Cambie to Gambie or Killemond to Gillemond/Guillemond LOUISON, HONORE, DESMARETS, LE BLOND, BETTAC have not changed much in the huguenot colonies in that period of time. Changed by translation: Armand to Hermann (in Germany) Louison to Ludvigsen (in Denmark at some time), and then back to original: Louison. Le Maire to Meyer (in Denmark at some time), and then back to original: le Maire. Killemond to Kielmann (in Germany and Denmark) Changed by living among ordinary Danes: Bettac to Betak via Bittag and Betach. Hanne Thorup Koudal