Hello All, My last post reminded me of this recent discovery. I had been told by a veteran researcher that a disappearing Irishman might adopt as his new surname his mother's or grandmother's maiden name. In one of my Brooklyn Irish families, the fourth of six sons disappeared sometime between the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Recently, a cousin heard from the daughter of that disappearing son, who had in fact adopted new names: as his forename, the forename of one older brother (third son); as his middle name, the forename of another older brother (second son); and as his surname, his mother's maiden name. PJ