Was Hitler a common family name before 1945? What did Hitlers change their names to after the second

Was Hitler a common family name before 1945? What did Hitlers change their names to after the second world war?

John Burton, O'Connor, Australia

• I was born with the Hitler surname. I took the name of my stepfather at my mother's urging when I was 13-years-old. I'm now trying to find out where my former surname came from. My grandfather, on my father's side, used to say that it was of British origin. And, after doing a little genealogical research, I discovered that several Hitlers migrated from Germany to Ohio in the 1760s. My family on my father's side is originally from Ohio, so this seems like a good lead. However, I haven't been able to get much farther in my research than this, as my father has passed away. My grandfather also seems to have no real idea where the name came from. If anyone has any info. it'd be much appreciated.

  Christopher Granger, Dumfries, VA, USA

• Adolf Schickelgruber changed his name to Adolf Hitler, a not uncommon sirname in the Corinthian province of Austria where he was born, and where indeed some of his relatives had that name. Europe's other modern mass murderer, Josef Stalin, went one step further and created his own surname, Stalin, the man of steel.

  C. Alexander Brown, Ottawa, ON, Canada

• Correspondent Christopher Granger of Dumfries, VA, USA who was born with the Hitler surname, stated several Hitlers migrated from Germany to Ohio in the 1760s. This is quite unlikely. Settlement in what was then the Northwest Territory did not really begin until after the American Revolution, indeed the Crowns attempt to prohibit it was a precipitating cause. Marietta, the first town in Ohio was not founded until 1788. However, large numbers of German-speakers did immigrate to the future United States before the Revolution, especially to Pennsylvania and Virginia. "Germany", of course, was a loose geographic expression rather than a nation at that time. Many of the immigrants were, like some of my own ancestors, Protestants leaving Catholic dominated areas. My ancestors were from the Alsace. "Acestory.com", which has many resources, lists numerous Hitlers and Hittlers in the US.

  David Null, Claremont, CA, USA

• Hitlers name before he called himself Hitler was COADY, it is an English name which generates from Cornwall in the south of england, so Hitler was actually an Adolf Coady.

  Walter, London, England

• Der Fuhrer's original surname was Pettigrew. Most likely of Scotch-Irish origin.

  Jacob McKensy, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

• Pettigrew is a Huguenot-derived surname,found in Scotland from the 13th century also found it's way to Ireland via the Plantation of Ulster. It was originally Petit Cru meaning small growth.

  Steve L, UK

• A terrible untrue rumour spread after World War II about him being "Jewish" or half etc. You are not Jewish unless your mother was.... it has been that way for thousands of years... unless he converted, which he never did. I researched and found that his mother was RC. I hate to think that the very people who gladly collaborated with nazis ie vichy french did this to take the heat off the fact that their religions endorsed and perpetuated such genocide against Jews from the time of Constantine till World War II ...in fact well after all of the nazis were arrested and gone, jews were still being killed, raped and beaten especially in Poland even today. It is not right to blame only Germany... much of Europe was responsible and should pay....I am ashamed of my German heritage...

  Jim Norisky, NYC USA

• In 1935 the telephone directory of New York City in the United States, listed 1,024 "Hitler"s. Ten years later, there was not even one. Where did they all go?

  Frank Fermier,