Is Feunde a real surname?

[emeltom]

I was recentlly searching the Censuses for a person with the surname Peacock. I eventually found him with the surname transcribed as Pursch. I could read Peacock on the image quite clearly.

Emeltom

[Geoff-E]

Does this belong in the 'Worst transcription ever' thread?  They did at least get the first two characters right ....

If there was just the one instance of the name, then FEUNDE would be a reasonable transcription of the first instance. However, there are several other appearances of the name in the marriage record for which FEUNDE looks less likely.

[Andrew Tarr]

I was recentlly searching the Censuses for a person with the surname Peacock. I eventually found him with the surname transcribed as Pursch. I could read Peacock on the image quite clearly.

This suggests that the transcribers were not familiar enough with the script or the language to do a 'proper job'.  Rumour has it that some was done in India.  But I guess Americans could also be responsible, as surnames in the US can be almost anything, possibly initiated by immigration staff at Ellis Island so long ago.