German Ancestor’s English Name

Question: My ancestor, William Felton, was born in the lowlands of Germany about 1770 and arrived in America in 1776 with his parents and two older brothers, John and Robert. The parents supposedly died shortly thereafter, probably in Pennsylvania. What puzzles me is that Felton is not a German name, and I have been unable to find this family on ship passenger lists from Germany. My ancestor was bound to a man who raised him in the Presbyterian faith. Is it possible he took another name?

Answer: Anything is possible in genealogy. Felton is an English location name; from Old English meaning feld (pasture or open country) plus tun (enclosure). It also is spelled Felten, and to add to the confusion, there is a German surname spelled Felten or Feldten.

However, with sons named John, Robert and William, I suspect your family is of English origins even though your ancestor supposedly was born in Germany.

You need to make a thorough check in the probate and orphans’ court records in the county where your immigrant ancestors died. Therein may be additional information on this line’s origins.

Ship passenger records are not complete for this time period. Examine the 1790 Census for Felton and Feltin families. There were 53 heads of households with this surname--most of them in New England, but four were in Pennsylvania at that time. The older brothers probably were heads of household when the 1790 Census was taken, and it may be necessary to research them to learn more about your ancestor.

Q: My maiden name was Musick, which my father says may have been of Czech origin. I have seen it spelled Muzik also. Great-grandpa was born in Missouri about 1856 in St. Joseph or Jefferson City. Do you have any clues to this name’s origins?

A: Musick or Music is Polish for peasant or vassal. However, Muzik is Czech--an affectionate nickname for a man of short stature.

These names would have sounded alike to American record-keepers, so your family tradition of being Czech is most likely correct. Since your family settled in Missouri in the mid-1800s, they probably came during the time of mass immigration of Czechs--who came due to the drought and crop failures in the 1840s and a revolution in 1848. Possibly your family left from the ports of Hamburg or Bremen in Germany and sailed either to New York or Galveston, Tex. Many Czechs settled in small towns and villages in Missouri. Examine the 1850 and 1860 census records of Missouri for more clues; and check for naturalization papers. Look for all spellings of your name.

Q: Can you tell me the origins of the surname Hendricks?

A: Hendricks, also found spelled Hendrick, Hendrich and Hendrix, is of German origins, meaning a descendant of Heinrich, the German form of Henry, which literally means “home, rule.” German surnames were originally formed from two roots that often have unrelated meanings.

Q: My surname is Fant, which I seldom find. My folks were Swedes, but this name does not sound Swedish. Is it?

A: Fant has some English roots, as a nickname, meaning an immature person, one with the characteristics of a child. However, the name could have been derived from “Infante” of Italian and Spanish origins.

How your father’s Swedish family came to acquire this name will require a fascinating research into genealogical records.

Myra Vanderpool Gormley is author of “Family Diseases: Are You at Risk?” available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert, Baltimore, Md. 21202 for $17.45 postpaid.