Surname: ANCHEN ~ anyone know its' origins?

[stanmapstone]

Thanks for that Bob - I do have those written on a piece of paper hidden away somewhere .... I have the one for the UK Pounds sign too (alt + 0163) but it doesn't seem to work any more.
What do YOU think of my Anchen = German idea?

There is a full list of ALT characters at
http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html


Stan

[Ruskie]

(Very useful thanks Stan - I've put that in my favourites)

[Karma]

Thankyou Stan, Loo, Ruskie and Bob for your contributions.

Still unsure about the surname origins however delighted to know how to do an umlaut!

Thanks for the link...very handy.

Best regards......Karma

[jorose]

http://groups.msn.com/AustralianSurnameList/surnamesabc.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=17857
- have you seen this?
Alexander Anchen's parents names are there.

Furthermore, Martha may have remarried - go to the Australian national archives and search for Anchen if this doesn't come up:
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=3032930&I=1&SE=1
- Edward Pierre Anchen, on enlisting in WWI, gives his mother's name as Mrs Martha Kent.

http://www.geopatronyme.com/cgi-bin/carte/nomcarte.cgi?nom=Anchen&submit=Valider&client=cdip - although it was not common, the name 'Anchen' does appear in French birth records 1891-1915.

[Karma]

Hi Jorose,

Thankyou for the links. Not sure what Martha has been up to, as well as Forster and now Kent, there is also a mention of Martha Whipp being the wife of Alexander Anchen.  Ah well....the search continues.

You have also confirmed my thoughts on the name possibly being French.

Many thanks for your response.

Kind regards.....Karma

[loo]

It doesn't sound French to me at all.  So I'm wondering if they came from somewhere else before France, if indeed they were French. 

Names that don't seem to fit in anywhere are often Jewish, because they represent someone's attempt to turn a Hebrew word into something else.

[Karma]

Hi Loo,

I understand what you mean re: Jewish names and another possibility is also South African.

Some of the christian names appearing are: Eugene, Pierre, Celiste, Auguerette.......

Good to have an uncommon name to research at least.

Kind regards.....Karma

[Subaru]

My mother-in-law told us for years that her grandmother came over from Ireland, but was french.  Her surname was Dwan.  It was only when I started doing family history that I found out that Dwan is actually a very old Irish name.  I don't think she was too pleased when I burst the bubble.   

Could Anchen not also be from Ireland ?  Just a thought

Rosemary

[Karma]

Hello Rosemary,

A good thought and one that the Irish experts on here would be able to confirm I hope.

Just love those mother-in-law stories! 

Kind regards,

Karma