Family stories have a way of becoming family legends, and one of the most common you’ll hear in genealogical circles is this: “Our ancestor came through Ellis Island, and the clerks changed the family name because they couldn’t spell it.”

It’s dramatic, almost cinematic. Imagine the scene—ships crowding New York Harbor, weary travelers clutching suitcases, and an impatient official scribbling down a “new” surname that forever altered the family’s story.

But here’s the reality: Ellis Island clerks did not change names.

The truth is both less theatrical and more interesting, because it says something important about how myths form, how families adapt, and where the real records are hiding...

Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/ellis-island-name-change-myth/

Ancestral Findings Podcast:

https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast

This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups:

https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups

Genealogy Giveaway:

https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

Genealogy eBooks:

https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks

Follow Along:

https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings

https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings

https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings

Support Ancestral Findings:

https://ancestralfindings.com/support

https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal 

#Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips