Hi Group, In researching German ancestors I've come across some statements and ideas that I'm wondering if other researchers have read and possibly checked out: 1. "You can be fairly sure that if you come across a German surname that has been converted to an English spelling, that's a tip-off that the family has been in this country since the 1700's. Later emigrants, 1850 up have their German names spelled as would be found in Germany today." Same idea would apply for Swiss. Therefore SCWARTZ became BLACK, WEISS became WHITE, SCHNEIDER became SNYDER, SCHAEFFER became SHAFER, STAUFFER became STAFFORD, WERI became WEARY, etc, etc., etc. 2. "It's more difficult to trace the 1700's German emigrants because they often were "pioneers" in the formation of newer PA counties - did not have access to schooling and were, therefore, often illiterate, not showing up in early histories to the extent of 1850 + emigrants from Germany whose families in Europe had the advantage of earlier schooling". So the later immigrants would have been more motivated to higher education - especially if they had arrived in Phila. ???? 3. "Because land closer to settled areas around the three original counties, Chester, Phila., and Montgomery being already occupied, the later German settlers had to establish themselves in "newly received formerly Indian areas". Also, "some settlers wanted more space and were eager to move into these areas and petition the government for the establishment of new counties". 4. "There was much preference shown in early records to documenting the Quaker English and other British families - the Germans being somewhat "second-class citizens" causing them to want to be assimilated into the prevailing culture. There came to be much interrmarriage between the Germans and English". 5. "Because of the political climate at the time of the Revolution, many German families assumed "alias" names". (Sure would like to have documented which book that was - it had examples of names common in Berks Co. records). 6. "German naming patterns were in several types, the most common being that the first son was named for the paternal grandfather, then the next son for the maternal grandfather, the boys would alternate back and forth - the first daughter would be named for the maternal grandmother, the second girl for the paternal grandmother, then the girls would alternate." "This naming pattern seemed to pass out of favor about the time of the Civil War." Do others have any "clues" they've come across to help in this German research???? Or, thoughts on the suggestions listed above ????? Thanks, Ann Rickard, SC