Not As Unusual As You Think

A name that sounds unusual to you may not be uncommon at all in the area where your relative is from. Early in my research, I believed that someone with the same last name as my grandmother (Habben) “had” to be related. Turns out they didn’t.

In the area where her family was from the last name was more common than I thought and just because two people shared that last name did not mean they had to be related.