As one also known all my life by my middle name, I can relate! In one's own little cultural cocoon, everyone knows that you are called Anton in everyday life, although your "legal" name is Johann Anton, . When you are required to enter your birth-certificate name on official records (especially the military, but also in schools) the roster is going to read "Kammerer, Johann A." -- and Johann is what you will be called. He probably just switched the order so he wouldn't fail to respond when they called his name. I can remember the amusement in the first two or three sessions of nearly every school and college class when the instructor called on "Ethel", and I sat like a stone until the impatient, second request -- "Ethel Wilmoth!" Teachers kindly made notes, and soon remembered to call me Virginia -- military superiors are often not so accomodating. In my case, I was named for my dad's beloved little sister, Ethel, who died when she was 8. My mother, Clara, had chosen Virginia from a novel she had read. Her sisters, used to German and Norwegian names with harder consonants, hated Ethel, which sounded to them like lisping, and made such fun of the name, my parents switched when I was an infant. To be honest, I never cared much for either name, but that's how it goes. Regards, Virginia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph Kaemerer" <towjoe42@wwdb.org> To: <PFALZ-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2000 9:32 AM Subject: Re: [PFALZ] which to choose??? > My Great Grandfather was Johann Anton Kaemmerer. After his entry into > the US at his enlistment as a volunteer in the Mo Light Artillery, His > name was recorded on the enlistment papers as Anton John Kaemmerer. > Thats all I know, do not know why it was done that way. All subsequent > recordings of any official nature, listed him as John Anton or Just > John Kaemmerer. Two or three US Census's list him as John. His > marriage lists him as John Anton. Joe > > > ==== PFALZ Mailing List ==== > Going on vacation longer than 4 days? > send your message to Pfalz-L-request@rootsweb.com (click and ready to go) > mailto:Pfalz-L-request@rootsweb.com?subject=unsubscribe > > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.166 / Virus Database: 79 - Release Date: 6/20/00