Vol. 21, No. 44 — June 8, 2016
Understanding The Meaning of Your American Surname |
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The development of surnames occurred in the Middle Ages in most of the world. Some places had them slightly earlier, and noble and royal families often had them centuries earlier. Even in ancient times, people were often known by a first name, and then with some other designating name to distinguish them from other people in the community. Distinguishing names included things like physical
descriptions of a person, the name of their father or mother, the name of a famous relative or ancestor, their occupation, the area of the community they lived in, or some other identifying feature. However, surnames, as we known them, did not come into common use among the regular people of the world until the Middle Ages in most places.
Your American surname, though it may sound totally
American now, has its origins far back in history. In fact, your American surname may be a common surname in another country, just with a slightly different spelling. It was not uncommon for immigrants to the United States in the mid-1800’s to mid-1900’s to “Americanize” their surnames upon arrival in this country, to fit in better with their new community. They would give an Anglicized spelling of their surname to the clerks who entered their names at arrival ports, and this spelling became the
name they and subsequent generations of their family used. You may be using one such spelling with your own surname without knowing it...
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Latest Genealogy Gold Podcast
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Did your ancestor keep a diary? You may find a treasure trove of genealogical information in it if they did. Here's a history of diaries in America and how to find out if your ancestors kept them.
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How to Order Your Ancestor’s Social Security Application |
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When Social Security was first instituted in the 1930’s, many men and women rushed to sign up for this innovative retirement income assurance program. Since it was brand new, people were not issued Social Security numbers at birth as they are now. They had to apply to the program. Once they applied and were approved, they would be issued their Social Security number and card. Men who were working, women who were working
(which was still pretty rare at that time), married women who hoped to use their spouse’s benefits one day, and women who were applying on behalf of a deceased spouse who had worked were all eligible to apply for the Social Security card.
These early applications for Social Security cards still exist and are valuable pieces of genealogical information. You can actually order the earliest
applications from the 1930’s and 1940’s. These forms are known as the SS-5 forms, and you can order one for any person, as long as they are deceased. The SS-5 applications are provided to U.S. citizens by the Social Security Administration under the Freedom of Information Act. You must provide proof the person is deceased, unless that person is 120 years old or older...
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This Week’s Free Genealogy Lookups |
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Teaching Children the Wonders of Photography: Part 2 |
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Last week, I talked about some of the most basic things that a child will need to know as they learn how to be a photographer. This week, let’s dive a little deeper
into the topic by showing you some of the more advanced things that should be taught next. Some of these advanced topics include lighting, the camera’s shutter speed, aperture and ISO controls. As you go through this lesson, remember that the things I'll be discussing here are a bit more advanced, so make sure that you and the children that you are teaching take plenty of time to learn each lesson
thoroughly!
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1995-2016 Ancestral Findings, LLC. All Rights Reserved |
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