Comments on: How Knutson Became Newton http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2010/09/01/how-knutson-became-newton/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-knutson-became-newton The official blog of Ancestry.com Sun, 19 May 2013 21:29:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Marianne Granoff http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2010/09/01/how-knutson-became-newton/#comment-49900 Marianne Granoff Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:25:19 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/?p=4556#comment-49900 There was recently a discussion of immigrant name changes on the genealogy-dna forum. Several people pointed out that this kind of name change did not happen AT immigration, but well after by the individual had arrived and settled. It generally was the individual's CHOICE to change his/her name, sometimes to sound more "American". Even in the 1800s. people arriving at immigration centers had to have a fair amount of paper documentation which included their legal name from their own country, before being allowed to enter this country. Immigration centers had many employees that spoke and read various languages, to process individuals from almost every country. The idea that immigrants names were changed because "officials" couldn't say or understand their name is a myth that many of us have heard over and over, but which historians keep trying to correct.. Yes - immigrant's names did get changed, but usually at the individual's choice, as this article suggests. There was recently a discussion of immigrant name changes on the genealogy-dna forum. Several people pointed out that this kind of name change did not happen AT immigration, but well after by the individual had arrived and settled.

It generally was the individual’s CHOICE to change his/her name, sometimes to sound more “American”. Even in the 1800s. people arriving at immigration centers had to have a fair amount of paper documentation which included their legal name from their own country, before being allowed to enter this country. Immigration centers had many employees that spoke and read various languages, to process individuals from almost every country.

The idea that immigrants names were changed because “officials” couldn’t say or understand their name is a myth that many of us have heard over and over, but which historians keep trying to correct..

Yes – immigrant’s names did get changed, but usually at the individual’s choice, as this article suggests.

]]> By: Gord Hines http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2010/09/01/how-knutson-became-newton/#comment-49849 Gord Hines Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:42:49 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/?p=4556#comment-49849 A really wonderful story. It just goes to show that often a hunch, well pursued, can yield great rewards. And kudos too, to that wonderful man who months later thought to call you back!! A really wonderful story. It just goes to show that often a hunch, well pursued, can yield great rewards. And kudos too, to that wonderful man who months later thought to call you back!!

]]> By: Beth Hansen http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2010/09/01/how-knutson-became-newton/#comment-49837 Beth Hansen Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:22:56 +0000 http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/?p=4556#comment-49837 Love reading stories like this, keep up the good work of passing them along to us. Love reading stories like this, keep up the good work of passing them along to us.

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