OK well I'm doing my Family Tree Searching. and I'm kinda Stumped. The Surname is Dempel and I'm not sure if that is how it is spelled in English or if that was how it was spelled in German.
I'm wanting to know how it is spelled so that I can search more successfully.
*Example* My Grandma said her Surname was Muller and then I looked into that and I found out that it is Spelled Mullerova.
Thanks in Advance.
2007-02-12 13:46:00 · 6 answers · asked by sexylittlemisstweetybird83 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
Whew! your example is one that needs sharing with lots of new researchers.
I ran Dempel in rootweb family files, and came up with 3 pages of entries, many of them show Frankfurt, which is Germany. Take a minute to re-analyse what records you already have, to see if Frankfurt is a good possibility. Was he naturalized? Date of immigration? Do you have all relevant census records (full copy, not extracts, which leave out some goodies). Names of siblings? maybe they show up in family files on rootsweb.com.
Dempel may be correct.
2007-02-12 13:59:53 · answer #1 · answered by wendy c 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The difficult thing is that until the late 1800s there was not a "correct" spelling for many names, as many people could barely read or write. Add to that the fact that semiliterate US immigration clerks wrote down phonetically what they thought they heard the immigrant say, and it's amazing that the names remain at all recognizable.
You will have the most success in your searches if you consider all the spelling variants for each surname you research. As an example, in the early 1800s in Scotland, the same person was listed in the parish register over a 20 year period as: Mathison, Matheson, Mattson, Matthewson, and Madison.
2007-02-14 01:11:24 · answer #2 · answered by roxburger 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Dempel is a very high possibility of the spelling. You might also try Dempfel and Dempell.
Sometimes when you're looking for stuff you'll find that things became "Americanized", like the surname "Schmidt" became "Smith", the most common family name in the US, so it's best to always keep your mind open to alternative spellings as you asked.
EDIT: Oh yeah and if you're interested in a service to help with finding ancestors, try www.ancestry.com. You can also find records of Ellis Island immigrations at www.ellisisland.org. Both require free account registration, and I don't know if those would benefit you or not.
Good luck!
2007-02-12 22:03:24 · answer #3 · answered by Ultima vyse 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I actually knew several German's by the name of Muller while living in Germany. I've never heard of Dempel. That just does not sound like a German name to me. Are you sure it is German? Give a search to Swiss or Dutch surnames. Opposite ends but sound similar to some names I have heard from both regions.
2007-02-13 23:25:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Begin with talking to close family members you talk with regularly, then other relations, that they may know.
You may find that you will learn how your name changed to Temple to Muller.
With names like the ones you have mentioned they sound Germanic and possible Jewish.
If you are in the US you will need to establish when your family came to the US. Many Germans changed there names after WW I & WW II when they emmigrated.
Check the religion of the old people there may be records there & See if there is a register of Births, Deaths & Marriages in your town.
2007-02-14 01:44:32 · answer #5 · answered by Murray H 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Genealogy and name search can take a long time with many different twist and turns as names were sometimes written according to the way it was spoken and often miss pelt by persons whose duty was to record them
Perhaps if you search your name at Yahoo or any other search engine, you might get some results.
Be encouraged and persevere.
2007-02-13 00:09:58 · answer #6 · answered by Seeanna 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋