Volume 16 No. 1 (2000)

Surname Changes in Northwestern Germany by Roger P. Minert, Ph.D. AG

Surname changes among males in Germany were practiced by a substantial portion of the rural population of Northwest Germany until about 1840  This study describes the fascinating practice observed in areas of northern Westphalia, western Hannover, Oldenburg, Lippe-Detmold, and part of Schaumburg-Lippe when a man changed his surname as he moved onto the farm of a specific status. The author details the history of this surname system, the rules governing the acquisition of a new surname, and the ramifications of the tradition for family history research