I definitely understand your problem. Several lines of my mother's genealogy changed their names to give the kids a better chance either anglicizing obvious German names or altering Scot-Irish names to pass as English. I understand their motive as good ol American "if it doesn't work, change your name to get a new start," but it doesn't help me that the major line chose their new surname as Johnson and named all their sons William or John or Joseph. Can you imagine how many John Johnsons or Bill Johnson there were in the late 1700s? Aarggh! Mission impossible!

Bruce