General Chat

Which ancestor in your tree has the most permutations/mistranscriptions/spellings of their name? My husband's Jewish great-great-grandfather is Zusman on his birth cert Zuesman on his marriage cert Zuseman on his daughter's marriage cert Zueseman in street directory and on the census: Luzman, Luisman, Guzman, Juseman and Luseman! nell

I think that will take a lot of beating, D

Nell I think most Eastern Europeans had trouble with their names. In England they just got it wrong because they never heard of it, in America they just changed it if they couldn't pronounce it whether the person with the name liked it or not. The only name I have trouble with in my lot is Wilding, Whilding, Wilden, Whilden and I am sure I will find more and wonder are they related too. Pat x

I think I'd give up before I started if I had to cope with that lot, you must be realy patient, unlike me. Carolyn

Well Zusman was born and lived all his life in the East End. The main problem seems to be that the initial capital in his name is always written in very florid writing. His father was a bit tricky too. He is Solomon on his marriage cert, Zalig on Zusman's marriage cert and Solomon Zalig on his death cert, as well as being mistranscribed on censuses as Telig and Fairy (well, it was a very bad image!) Their surname, Hart, is always written correctly. nell

LOL Nell your are brilliant for your patience, but of course I said that to you before as well as being level headed that is lol. Now in the East End wasn't it flooded with folks with names that were really difficult for the indigenous Londoners (whoever they were). I have Hart but they were from Derby moved to Birmingham. Pat x

Züsman, if you don't have an umlaut, is correctly spelt Zuesman, similarly Züseman would be Zueseman - I sure that this would explain some of the discrepancies which have arisen.

My worst is also an East end family - Blumson - and it drives me mad as I have to search under Blumson/Blunsom/Blumsom/ Blunsen/Blomson/Blumsun etc - even the IGI (which is pretty good) doesn't cover them all under one spelling:)

Hi Helen, I'm having trouble with Allender/Allendar/Allandar/Allander/Alender/Alendar/Alandar/Alander/Allinder/Alynder/Allendorf plus one or two other variations. If you use soundex on ancestry they have a very strange idea of what a soundex could be so searches take ages. Gwynne (Gwyn/Gwen/Quin)

Mine are relatively straightforward compared to some of the above, after all, you don't get many mistranscriptions of Smith ! I do have a Swann/Swan/Swain/Swaine/Swayne though, plus a Bryant/Briant/Brient/Brien/Brian/Bryan Paul

Hi Nell No I can't beat that although I do have a Zelpher, Zilpha, Zilpa, Zelpa who also appears as Elizabeth and Jane!!!!! Definitely the same person but, although I can see how Zelpher might be mispelt, why is she also Elizabeth and Jane? Well, it wouldn't be fun if it were easy would it? Daisy

Variations I've found for my family name are - Sigga Maeg (Anglo-Saxon origin 800-900s, Yorkshire) Sygemaeg (1215 Wakefield, Yorkshire) Sygemay (1275 Wakefield, Yorkshire) Simond. (Latinised on 1540 marriage record in Durham) Symie (1573 marr. in Aberdeen) Simy (1578 marr. in Tamworth, Staffs & Simye also 1578 - son of that marriage & Semye 1586 - daughter of same marriage) Symme (1584 marr. in Hurworth, Co Durham) Sime (possibly same family, c1565-1590 in Co Durham) Semy (1593 marr. in Erroll, Perthshire) Syme (c1580-1603 marr. in Durham Cathedral) Symye (1609 burial in Boldon, Co Durham) Symey (1625 marr. in Houghton-le-Spring, Co Durham) Simme (1656 marr in Boldon) Simie (1666 baptism in Kinnard by Erroll, Perths.) Sym. (1670 baptism in Aspatria, Cumberland) Simon (Latinised on records of 1634 marr. in Easington, CO Durham & 1724 marr. in Durham) Simmy (1733 marr. in Colchester, Essex) Simmie (1769 birth in Rothiemay, Banffshire) Simey (in current use, but also used as far back as 1600s). 21 found so far! Confusing, innit? LoL CB >|<