Prepared by Elisabeth Lindsay.
One unique feature of German surnames is the practice of adopting farm names. It is said that If a person moved onto a farm, he would take the name of the farm's original owner. A man might also change his surname to his wife's maiden name, if she inherited a farm. This presents an obvious quandary for researchers, facing not only the change in an ancestor's name, but the possibility of children born to the same family bearing different surnames. A detailed study of German surnames can help you better understand your German ancestry, and a great many resources to help you are available online.