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Question: My last name doesn't exist!?
That sounds impossible!. But I can't find ANY information on my ancestors simply because the way my maiden name is spelled -- German, not Austrian!. And there are a few people living in the US with my last name but none of whom I am related to besides in Indiana!.
My last name is Exl!. Not an i, L, nothing between the X and L and I don't know what a similar misspelling or "transformed" spelling would be from German ancestry, I'm second generation born in the U!.S!. My grandfather was born in Germany, and I don't have his mother's maiden name and he has poor memory and no background information!. Even on Namewiki!.info, there are 150,000 last names, and Exil is the closest it gets!. But no cigar!. Why is there NO information on my last name anywhere i look!? It's practically impossible to find anything!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
The information probably does exist, you could be looking in the wrong places!. I would suggest looking at genealogy websites instead of surname sites!. When I searched the 1930 US census, it shows most Exl's living in Ohio, a few in New York and this family in Gary, Indiana!.
1930 United States Census
Therecia Exl
Gary, Lake County, IN
Birthplace: Germany
Estimated Birthyear: abt 1892
Other household members:
Frank Exl age 9 Son
Josef Exl age 8 Son
Then I searched immigration records and found this passenger list for the same family:
Given names: Xaver
Surname: Exl
Traveling with Terese, Josef and Xaver (I assume Xaver Jr!. is Frank in the census above)
Residence: Hirschenberg, Germany
Ship arrival date: 21 Mar 1923
Arrival age: 33y
Nationality: Germany, German
Departure port name: Bremen
Ship arrival port: New York, U!.S!.A!.
Gender: Male
Marital status: M
Ship name: Hannover
Born in Thierham
Occupation: Stone Cutter
Physical Description: 5'7", blue eyes, grey hair
Contact in Germany: Father - Xaver [Esel!?], Thierham in Bayern
Contact in US: Bro-in-law Josef Steininger, 1680 W!.11th Ave, Gary, IN
Wife - Therese 30y born in Hirschenberg [5'4", blue eyes, grey hair]
Son - Xaver 2y born in Hirschenberg [blue eyes, blonde hair]
Son - Josef 1y born in Hirschenberg [blue eyes, blonde hair]
Would either Joseph or Frank, born in the 1920's be your Grandfather!? If so, you can ask him if he remembers any Stenininger cousins!. The 1920/30 US Census lists Joseph and Rosie (or Rosa) Steininger in Gary, IN (children - Joseph, John and Fred)
You can view the original ship manifest (2 pages) with a free registration at ellisisland!.org (email address required)!. There is also a Maria Kriminger in the same list born in Stublehousen (her mother is Walburga Kolbauer from Stublehousen, near Thalberg)!. She is a cousin of Joseph Steininger!.
Other records from ancestry!.com
WWII Enlistment
Frank P Exl
Born: 1920, Danzig or Germany
Race: White, Citizen
Residence: Lake Co!., IN
Enlistment State: Indiana
New York Petitions for Naturalization
Name: Frank Paul Exl
Birth year: 1921
Naturalization date: 27 May 1943
Location of Court: New York Southern District
I hope these are your relatives, but if not, now you have an idea on how to find information for them!. also death records (for your Grandfather's siblings) could contain valuable information (often lists mother's maiden name) which you can order from the State Vital Records and Health Department or County Court Clerk
Good luck in your search!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
This is sort of a side interest of mine, and I predict that some other folks with the same last name will have some idea how the name was really spelled wherever it came from!. Good suggestion there!.
The United States is a very strange country in this one way - we are not a nation genetically, or ethnically!. We don't really know how to spell or pronounce each other's names!. Names had a tendency to get butchered a bit here!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
>> My family doesn't come from Austria
Once the trains were running in Europe in the 1800s, people had little difficulty moving around!. It's a mistake to dismiss any possible location until you have other evidence, such as Baptismal records, for your ancestors!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
On facebook I performed a simple search and discovered around twenty people with the last name Exl!. Try contacting some of them and see if you can get information through them!. I did the same for my last name with wonderful results!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I have the same problem - havent been abole to get any further info either!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
http://www!.familysearch!.org had ONE listing from Germany:
Ferdinand EXL - Ancestral File
Gender: M Birth/Christening: < 1837 <Gastern, , N!.oe!., Oesterreich>
Spouse: Francisca WIDHALM (see more below about their family)
Marriage: 22 Nov 1864
Gastern, , N!.oe!., Oesterreich
(NOTE: Oesterreich , according to Wikipedia, is the German word for AUSTRIA, and means "Eastern Territory"!.The name was erroneously Latinized as "Austria" The word "Reich" means "Empire"!.)
Francisca's parents:
Father: Anton WIDHALM (Birth: Abt!. 1812 )
Mother: Anna Maria DATLER (Birth: Abt!. 1816)
Her sisters:
Anna Maria WIDHALM --Born: Abt!. 1843 , Fruehwaerts 27, , N!.oe!., Oesterreich
Maria WIDHALM--Born: 9 Jan 1838, Gastern, , N!.oe!., Oesterreich
http://www!.ancestry!.com
Name: Ferdinand Exl
Residence: 1913 - ?Oesterreich (Austria)
He is listed in a "High Life Almanac" as a Theater Director in Innsbruck, located on Museumstr!.14!.
Name: Ferdinand Exl
Residence: 1918 - Deutschland
(listed here also as a Theater Director, but in Germany)
A lot of listings on ancestry!.com's German site have the name spelled as "Eckel ", " Eckle", "Eisele ", "Eichele", "Eikel ", "Axel ", & "Eckzel", just to list a few!.
With the Exl spelling, there is listed:
1!. Name: Frank Paul Exl
Born: 1921 - Passau, Germany (Deutschland)
Died: 18 Feb 1951 - Gary, Indiana, USA
Parents: Xavier Exl, Therecia
2!. Name:Joseph Francis Exl
Born: 19 Feb 1922 - Passau, Germany (Deutschland)
Parents Xavier Exl, Therecia
Spouse: Mabel Smalley Suter
3!. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: Xaver Exl
Birth: abt 1890 - Germany
Departure: Bremen
Arrival: 21 Mar 1923 - New York, New York
Those are just some of the listings I found!. At http://www!.howmanyofme!.com it says: "There are fewer than 336 people in the U!.S!. with the last name Exl!. "
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