SWITZERLAND: Does anyone have access to "Swiss Surnames: A Complete Register"

[Denby1]

Hello Rambler,
It looks as though you have been very helpful. I have a Swiss ancestor by the name of Charles Grivatt. He was living in England by 1871 and his marriage certificate (he married an English woman in Southampton) says his father was also named Charles. Unfortunately, I don't have anything else to go on at the moment.
Hope you can help!
Denby

[Manchester Rambler]

Hi Denby,

There is a GRIVAT family from Orbe (canton Vaud), first mentioned at the beginning of the 15th century.

As you have Charles' approx date of birth and father's name, it might be worth contacting the equivalent of the county record office for Vaud and asking whether they can help: in Switzerland it is the family's place of origin, not place of birth which is important.  (Explanation here: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,183876.0.html )

Canton de Vaud - Service de la Population
centre.etatcivil [at] vd.ch

If you don't speak French, English should be fine - just specifiy that Charles is "of Orbe".

Good luck!

Rambler   

[Denby1]

Thanks for your quick response Rambler.  I shall follow up your lead and hopefully I'll be able to find out more. I shall let you know if I'm successful.
Denby.

[family seeker]

Hi Manchester Rambler, I noticed on the forum you have access to Swiss Surnames and wondered if you would be kind enough to look up my family name JENNI. I think they lived in the Bern Canton, maybe Theirachern or Uetenberg villages before they emigrated to the US approximately in 1835.
My Great great great Grandfather was a John (or Johannes) at that time.

If you have any clues I would be grateful as searching my Swiss and US origins from the UK is a bit of a challenge.

Regards, family seeker

[Manchester Rambler]

I'm afraid there are several different JENNI familes originating in the cantons of Bern, Graubunden and Lucerne, as well as JENNY in Basle, Glaris and St-Gall, making it difficult to guess which might be the right one.   

(The surname comes from the forename Johannes, so it's a bit like looking for JOHNSON in English.)

The best I can suggest is to ask around your family whether anyone has old documents, letters, etc which might give the family origin: if they're in German, it could say something like "Heimat" or "Burger von XXX". 

Sorry not to be more help!

Rambler

[family seeker]

Hi Rambler, thankyou for your feedback and looking up the surnames for me.
I think I can narrow your look-ups to :
1) the only surnames I am interested in is Jenni or Jenny
2) only looking in the Bern canton and using the forenames of  :
1) Johannes - who would have been born approximately in 1790
2) Christian (or Christen) who might have been Johannes father and would have been born approximately 1750

Family Seeker

[Manchester Rambler]

I don't have access to Bern parish records, I'm afraid - my book just gives a short entry for each surname, with sometimes a mention for "notable" family members.

Rambler

[dtb1322]

I am looking for info on my great great gf Frederick Buser born in Switzerland in 1816.  We suspect he arrived in the US on 26 Aug 1833 on the ship Manchester with the name Frederick Bersler.  He arrrived with his father Baptist, brother Godfroy and sisters A Maria, Catherina, Christiana, Elizabeth and Rosina. Thanks-Dave

[Billyblue]

Hello Rambler
I wondr would you be good enough to look in your book for me too?

One of my ggmothers was Swiss and until fairly recently that was the extent of my knowledge of her.
However have discovered that she came from Canton Vaud in CH.   Born about 1820s.

Surname is variously given as Rousseau and Rossier.

Can you also tell me where in Switzerland is Canton Vaud?

Many thanks in advance

Dawn M.