Descendants of Epke Jacobse, Who Came from Friesland, Netherlands, to New Amsterdam, February, 1659.

Where did your surname come from? Do you know how many people in the United States share it? What does it tell you about your lineage?From the editor of the highly acclaimed Dictionary of Surnames comes the most extensive compilation of surnames in America. The result of 10 years of research and 30 consulting editors, this massive undertaking documents 70,000 surnames of Americans across the country. A reference source like no other, it surveys each surname giving its meaning, nationality, alternate spellings, common forenames associated with it, and the frequency of each surname and forename.The Dictionary of American Family Names is a fascinating journey throughout the multicultural United States, offering a detailed look at the meaning and frequency of surnames throughout the country. For students studying family genealogy, others interested in finding out more about their own lineage, or lexicographers, the Dictionary is an ideal place to begin research.

The history of the Groenhagen families in Ostfriesland, Germany, and the United States. Groenhagen Family History covers Harm Siebelts Groenhagen�s (Groenhagen's second great-grandfather) descendants to the present and his ancestors back to Geert Garrels (the family didn�t use the surname Groenhagen until about 1811), who was born about 1640. The book also discusses Geert Garrels� descendants in Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Germany. Groenhagen�s book also covers Harm Tammen Groenhagen�s descendants to the present and his ancestors back to Garrelt Nonnen, who was born before 1685. Garrelt Nonnen�s descendants can be found in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Germany. Groenhagen Family History includes a chapter on genetic genealogy. Using DNA testing, Groenhagen is finally able to answer the question regarding whether or not he is related to Harm Tammen Groenhagen and his descendants.

Americans’ long and restless search for identity through family trees illuminates the story of America itself, according to François Weil, as preoccupation with social standing, racial purity, and national belonging gave way to an embrace of diversity in one’s forebears, pursued through Ancestry.com and advances in DNA testing.

Rempel combines his first-hand account of life in Russian Mennonite settlements during the landmark period of 1900-1920, with a rich portrait of six generations of his ancestral family from the foundation of the first colony in 1789.