TRIER-ROOTS-L Archives

From: Chuck Van Den Eeden <>
Subject: [TRIER-ROOTS-L] TRIER Surname
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 20:06:05 -0600
References: <200212032207.gB3M7Vfo032584@lists5.rootsweb.com> <003b01c29b1c$5d036b90$1f542aa2@home>

> I am having a hard time finding information on my Great-Grandfather's
> family. Their last name was TRIER. Is it usual to have your surname the
> same of the town which you came from? For instance, I am originally from
> Wheaton, IL in the states...and there were many people who had the last name
> of WHEATON because their surname was in honor of the town which they came
> from. Would appreciate someone's comment on this.

Jen I have an interesting example of what might have happened in my family in
Luxembourg -

Theodor Schomers whose family was from Bisssen, Lux., married a woman in another
town where he took up residence. The marriage records indicate his surname as
Bissener [man from Bissen]. There first 2 children held the surname Bissener -
the 3rd is recorded as Bissen [1770s] and the Bissen name carried through until
the the 1970s when the last so named family member died in Belgium. Also, I
have been told that in Lux. it was common for persons to be known by the name of
the house [houses had names] they lived for every day activities and discourse
but church records would show a true surname.

Apparently, the towns were pretty insular and surnames were not set in stone as
today. I recently learned of the above facts from a researcher in Vichten, Lux.
after I spent about 6 years try to find a connection to another well researched
Bissen family from Afler, Germany.

So don't give up - the data you need is out there somewhere and one day you will
find it.

Chuck Van Den Eeden
Lombard, Illinois

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• [TRIER-ROOTS-L] TRIER Surname by Chuck Van Den Eeden <>