Hi Jeff! I'm sure you're right regarding the name idiosyncrasies which occured numerous times. I was told my grandfather spoke six languages, however, I did trace his original name to the area in which listed on the Ellis island manifest. I guess in each case situations could be different. I just hope he wasn't running from the law, if you know what I mean. Carol ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 8:27 PM Subject: Re: [PBS] Name change "myth" >I think the question of whether name "changes" took place is really a > matter of semantics. Of course there were errors made on the > passenger manifests, census records, etc. The simple fact is that > none of these resulted in a legal name change. Many immigrants were > illiterate, or at a minimum were not English speakers. Therefore, few > of these would know the "correct" spelling of their name and probably > didn't settle on a spelling until years later. > > Jeff > > On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 4:07 PM, jakki szymanowski <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> Also the US census mutilated some names. Kujalowicz was listed in a >> variety of spellings and my grandmother's first name Theodosia was not >> even recognizable on some! >> >> Jacqueline Szymanowski >> >> 3921 Random Lane >> >> Sacramento CA 95864 >> >> [email protected] >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> From: [email protected] >>> To: [email protected] >>> Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:54:59 -0600 >>> Subject: Re: [PBS] Name change "myth" >>> >>> I agree - any person coming from a country that did not have English as >>> their language, stood the risk of having their name changed to what it >>> sounded like, in English. All agents that handled passengers coming >>> from >>> overseas spoke only English, and could not be bothered to wait for a >>> translator. I found this to be the case in several names I am >>> researching, >>> and was told this as well by my grandparents. >>> >>> Muriel >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: [email protected] >>> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gerald >>> Cierpilowski >>> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 9:36 AM >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: Re: [PBS] Name change "myth" >>> >>> Maybe the name changes were not on purpose at the immigration >>> purposes, but there were changes. For example: >>> >>> My grandmother and her two sons were shown on three separate Ellis >>> Island manifests out of Hamburg. The first two show that they were >>> "scratched" for some reason and did not arrive in New York. Each of >>> the three manifests had the surname spelled differently; and NONE of >>> the spellings was correct. Each of them were spelled the way they >>> SOUNDED in English. I have other examples in my family as well. Names >>> WERE changed. >>> >>> Jerry >>> Lock Haven, PA >>> Detroit MI >>> >>> >>> On Feb 16, 2009, at 10:21 AM, C. Bukoski wrote: >>> >>> > >>> > Hi Gloria, >>> > >>> > May I ask what your source is for the childrens' names, dates, and >>> > places of birth? Do you have actual baptismal certificates? >>> > >>> > Regarding the changing of family names at immigration, that is a >>> > myth. Immigration was pretty big business at the turn of the 20th >>> > century. Immigrants travelled with passports which would have their >>> > names spelled out (though not in English) and the translators were >>> > available at the ports of arrival (and probably departure). If >>> > anything, names would have changed (for any variety of reasons) >>> > after they settled in North America. >>> > >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >>> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >