Having trouble with a last name (Hartzel or Hartzell)

Question

So for William Henry Hartzel/Hartzell it has multiple sources for both last name spellings, I don't know which way to spell it.

Answer 1

Do you have any clues about how he spelled his own name? He is recent enough there should be a marriage record, school record, or some other public record indicating how he spelled the name.

Comments

In the 1910 census he spelled it hartzell, but in the 1900 census he spelled it hartzel

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Of course that is how the census taker spelled it.  That does not answer how he and his family spelled it. I noticed a marriage record for a son, who spelled it Hartzell.

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Yes, I have found marriage records and such, and I changed it to Hartzell

Answer 2

As his father is Hartzel, I would leave it as is until you find an early record,like birth.

Comments

Also if you are still not sure, do what I do with spellings: use the "other last name" box to put the variation.  Also be sure to note in the biography that there various spelling of the name are found in the records.

Answer 3

The name was originally Hirtzel (Switzerland), then Hertzel (Germany) then Hartzel (U.S.A. ) and finally Hartzell. Not sure of dates of change.

Mary Lee Hartzell Young