When did the Eanhardts change their name from Ehrenhardt to Earnhardt? Is Ehrenhardt German?

Question

I know,,, I misspelled Earnhardt. My batteries are low on my wireless keyboard.

Answer 1

Yeah its German....recently a interview Jr said hed want to go there to vist the land of hiss ancestors.

Answer 2

After they lost the war and came to America to continue their National Socialist program. Is it just coincidence that Junyah drives the "88" number made famous by n***s and skinheads?

Answer 3

during the deppresion many of the poeple who registered the immigrants into america got lazy on the spelling or misheard the name all together. it happened to many last names

Answer 4

how do you know that they did?

Answer 5

I wasn't aware that their ancestors did that. I know that my uncle's grandfather shortened his name when he emigrated to the United States a hundred years ago in order to better fit in with the more English sounding names. Maybe that's why they did it.

Answer 6

I've been an Earnhardt fan since Dale Sr.began his career and never heard that. I'm not saying it's not true. I'm saying I didn't know that. If you could point me to the source of that info I'd love to check it out. Thanx. Do you think it's a coincidence that Ed shares the name of a barnyard animal? LOL. Shame on you Ed.

Answer 7

it likely depends upon when it was changed exactly. my grandparents (germans themselves) talked about many people of german descent "americanizing" their names, particularly during the world wars, so as to not seem unpatriotic. remember when we got mad at france recently about them not letting us use their airspace, so all of a sudden "french fries" became "liberty fries?"  well, back then, "sauerkraut" became "liberty cabbage" right quick.

however, the inability to enunciate might have played a big part as well. many cajuns in southern mississippi and louisiana (my other grandparents) actually had much more french sounding names than i do, but cajun is a "lazy" version of french, so names became more "mumbled" and "garbled" in the process.

jmo.

Answer 8

it is German... like i think Dale Sr's grandfather changed it... dunno though

Answer 9

The only groups worse than the n***s were the Edzis. They dropped letters from their names when they fled Berlin at the end of the war. They try to blend in but they are conspicuously present everywhere.