CLASS of 1955

*Most surnames are identifiable as to origin linguistically, but others are only to be guessed at. Also, Americans being a nation of immigrants, many find that ancestors who left the "old country" changed their names when they emigrated. A few reasons for this: -to sound "American" -to adopt a name that was less common e. g. instead of "Olson" perhaps "Nordland" (north land) -or to escape creditors.
**Many "English" surnames of today were not so 100 years ago. Often "White" was once "Weiss" or "Blanc" or "Bianchi." "Miller" was one "Miller" or "Mûlier" or "Melnik."
*** Some obvious English names were counted as Finnish.

A note from your Web Master: I am sure that I'm counted as English. It should have been under Slavic as my Grandfather came from Poland and he changed it to Lake from Leja.