Correct Spelling of Last Name?

Question

I'm trying to research my family tree, and I've been looking all over for this last name, and I can't find it anywhere. I've no idea how to correctly spell it. I'm pretty sure it's of Lithuanian origin, or MAYBE Irish, but I doubt it. Anyway, it sounds like Mar-sane-kah. Some possible spelling combinations I've come up with, but that haven't turned anything up, are:

Marsanca

Marsainca

Marseinca

Marsanka

Marseinka

Marsainka

The closest last name I've ever come up with in my searches was Marzanka, which I believe is German, and I'm not German. All I know for sure is that the last name is pronounced Mar-sane-kah. Has anyone heard of it before? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! =]

Answer 1

If it's Lithuanian, it could be somthing like:

Marczenka

Marczanka

Marczancha

Marchanka

Do you know your grandfather's first name, and whether he's still living?  If he's passed away, and if you know the approximate date, you could look for him on the social security death index and see how he spelled his surname.

Answer 2

try swapping the s with a c?

Answer 3

It depends how far it is into the family. if it is like your grandma's grandma or great-grandma ask your grandma (if she is still alive) what her last name was and how it was spelled.If it is farther than that you are out of luck.

If you want more help email me.

my email is:[e-mail]

Answer 4

do you have any grandparents or uncles

maybe they could help you

PS

check to see if your family immigrated

when my family did the name got changed some what

and my friend has a completely different last name

EX. dominican to smith

just cuz they felt like it

Answer 5

This is the only one I could come up with.

Marcinko: Last name origin & meaning:

Slovak: from a pet form of a personal name equivalent to Martin.

So maybe the one you are looking for is Marcinka !

But how do you know it is not a German name ? Because of the many, many, years of political turmoil throughout that part of Europe, it is impossible to be certain that it is of any specific "nationality". Unless you can do the research, you will never know and  it is a futile exercise to guess at it, you must keep all your options open, with the probable exception of it being Irish !

Edit: Even when you find the name, you must consider the possibility that the spelling that you find is not necessarily the same as when it left whichever country it came from, a great many names were altered for a variety of reasons upon arrival in a new country.