GENEALOGY RESOURCES 
What’s in a Name?

Our ancestors did not have have their names changed at Ellis Island; but, they often changed their names themselves soon after arriving in the United States.

photo: QHGS

Some of them shortened long surnames that were difficult for their new countrymen to spell. For example, Sobczynski became Sobek over time. Others Anglicized their surnames completely. A common example is the change of Wisniewski to Cherry. A few of our ancestors Anglicized both their given name and surname. As a result, an Italian named Guglielmo Cavalcante could have become William Rider, and a Hungarian named Vilmos Erdos might have been known as Billy Forester.

RESEARCH TIP: If you have an immigrant ancestor whom you have been unable to find on ship manifest lists, consider that he may have entered the United States under a different name. 

Use the following websites:

http://www.behindthename.com/ and 

http://surnames.behindthename.com/names/source/occupation 

to search lists of given names and surnames from many languages.