Thought I would pass this along for all our relatives looking for clues on where we came from. Semper Fi, Mary Ann ESTABLISHING COUNTRY OF ORIGIN FROM SURNAME You can sometimes establish a country of origin from a surname. You can even place uncommon surnames within a specific province or county. To find the origin of your family name (assuming it wasn't changed when your family immigrated to another country), go to your public library and search the shelves for surname books. These books are usually divided by country. Some surnames can be hard to find. Occupational names are often the most difficult because the names could have been translated from almost any language. Examples of these are Miller (a flour mill operator), which could have been translated from Muller, Moeller, or Mueller and which could have come from almost anywhere in Germany; Collier (meaning coal miner) could have come from almost any area of England, Wales, or Europe where coal mining was prevalent. Check the surname books for suggestions, but remember that the name could have originated in another country. - -------------------------------------------- Diana J. Muir, Professional Genealogist Former Host of the World GenWeb Teacher of 8 free online genealogy classes at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~genclass/ Surnames Researched: Hajduk,Welch, Collins, Litton, and Szela Proud member of the Women Marines Association Proud lister at [email protected]