Late Night with Seth WHO? Seth Meyers Shocked By Original Surname | Finding Your Roots | Ancestry

Late Night Host Seth Meyers discovers the stunning story behind his family surname, and how his great-grandfather journeyed to The United States at only 15 years old. Start Your Ancestry Family Tree: visitancestry.com/3OnA262
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00:00 Introduction
0:34 Seth Meyers's real last name revealed
1:25 Seth Meyers meets his great-grandfather
2:37 Seth Meyers’s great-grandfather creates his American dream

[@AncestryUS]

Seth’s original family name really has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? What have you discovered in your family tree?

[@fioname3495]

My family survived the plague whilst living in Eyam UK - direct descendant from the Ragge family (my grandmother).

[@EsmereldaPea]

@AncestryUS - I am trying to find records on my family from Lithuania who may have been the barons who owned Trakenai estate. I have been unable to locate anything online (including on Ancestry) and am hoping you can point me to a resource that can help. Thank you! I have found many, many records of my own through Ancestry and just the other day, used Ancestry to help a friend locate his long-lost niece and shared with him photos of her father (his brother) from high school that he had never seen. I have used Ancestry to help many other locate both living and deceased family members.

[@f1s2hg3]

My SURNAME IS O’ KELLEY AND THATS IRISH BUT MY ANCESTORS WERE FROM THE VILLAGE OF KELLEY IN DEVON ENGLAND BUT I NOTICED THAT THE DIFFERENT SPELLING OF THE NAME IS USED ON MAPS WHY IS O’KELLEY CHANGED TO KELLY? Why ?

[@necrophobya]

I am Lithuanian, Trakianski as a last name most likely refers to the location the family was from (Trakai or Trakenai) and uses a Slavic (most likely Polish) construction. Lithuanian would be something like Trakietis. My Grandfather's last name was Akunis, which is definitely not Lithuanian, illustrated by the fact that aside from ours, there is only one other family in the country with that last name. No one knows where it came from. The brother of my great grandfather emigrated to the USA in the early 1900's

[@JM-nm3bg]

Yeah, Turk and Magyar are somewhat synonymous but Tarkhan/Tarquinius sounds more noble than Major/Majorian to me at least.

[@samstewart1987]

Fun Fact: Morris Meyers always demonstrated the quality of the pans he was selling with a segment of his pitch he called "A Closer Cook."

[@anastasiabeaverhausen8220]

Excellent comment.

[@britturk123]

I like it, not a lot but I like it.

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

Absolutely love this!💗

[@hannathompson7998]

@@britturk123 lol

[@fitawrarifitness6842]

😏

[@anamariaguadayol2335]

Morris probably spoke some Yiddish and back then, we used to help each other. Maybe that explains his ability to move around in the America of that time. My dad -- who was born in Cuba of a German Jewish mother and a Catalonian Jewish father -- told me that when he used to come to New York in the 30s the language he usually spoke was Yiddish and he rarely paid for hotels as he lodged with Jewish families who were willing to put him up for a night or two. He paid back by reading the news and translating what they needed to English.

[@KimberlyGreen]

That's a pretty useful insight. A lot of immigrants probably gravitated (and still do) to places where there was an existing community of similar people. I wonder if that's why Mr. Trakianski was drawn to Pittsburg, 300 miles from where he arrived.

[@anamariaguadayol2335]

@@KimberlyGreen Yes! ☺️ That's why when we had to leave Cuba in the 60s, our family came to Miami where all the other Cubans came. Practically every member of our Cuban congregation came here within the first five years of the revolution.

[@KimberlyGreen]

@@anamariaguadayol2335 And their coming over brought a vibrant, rich culture to enrich us. Castro's loss, our gain 👍🏻😉

[@ophelias4172]

I can’t imagine moving to a place where every part of society is one big culture shock. I think it takes a lot of courage to leave the familiar behind to go some place that might as well be Mars.

[@anamariaguadayol2335]

@@ophelias4172 When the cossacks are behind you or in my case, the communists had just burned your father's library, you move. Staying means death. Look at the people who chose to stay in the Donbas region in Ukraine. They're being massacred. The ones who left in February were able to go by train and many were able to take their pets. Lesson, if you see a war coming, leave unless you are young enough and willing to fight. 🥰 It was very difficult, but within five years my father had bought a house and by the time ten years had gone by both my twin and I had graduated from university and were working. It's difficult, but we lived.

[@acapellaeighteen7066]

I too am Lithuanian by heritage. My 5 x great grandfather moved to England with his brother. They changed names to Abrahams, and his great nephew was Harold Abrahams. 1924 Olympic Gold Medallist and joint subject of the 4 Oscar winning movie Chariots of Fire.

[@DANTE83100]

My great grandparents, on my father's side came to Scotland from Lithuania. They kept their surname, but gave their children the name Campbell. And if you know your history that probably wasn't the best choice.

[@ML-ul2zq]

Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell's story was so inspiring. Chariots is one of my all time favorite films.

[@suchanhachan]

I notice that Morris' father's first name was Mejer, which I'm guessing would be pronounced similarly to Meyer(s). I wonder if this influenced the choice of his new family name, or even if he perhaps originally planned to take the name Meyerson or Mejerson...

[@LtPowers]

Yeah... look at his obit. It says his father's name was "Myer Meyers".

[@paulibaer_206]

I think that is a 99% percent hit on the explanation too.

[@RayasNegroOvejas]

ah, yes, I just wrote a comment on that ~ Meyer would be an anglicization of Mejer, and the pluralization would mean that he comes from the family of Mejer, just like… say, a nordic name like Andersson means son of Anders, etc (I don't know if someone from the baltic would have a "-son" variation as first choice)… it's pretty obvious, as our comments and others make clear, and… most likely something they say in the program

[@helenhershtjader5759]

My thought as well.

[@pyatig]

In Russia to this day your middle name is your father’s first name so someone named Boris who’s dad is Peter would be Boris petrovich. This is probably the reason a lot of Jewish surnames end with “ich”,

[@ImCarolB]

"We aren't sure why Morris changed his name"? The record shows that his father was Meyer Trakianski. He recognized that his last name was bound to cause confusion, so he named himself after his father.

[@thetruthno1]

Possible Jackal alert

[@ardotte]

I saw that as well - father was Mejer - so it seemed a bit obvious to me why he chose it as a surname. Easier for the Anglos and that way his own father would not be lost.

[@mssamson79]

as in "son of mejer" seems logical to me

[@carolynt8864]

I felt the same way. It was obvious to me. But I can see why from a historical perspective you have to mind your words. You can't get into a persons mind since he is no longer living can't ask him personally.

[@sahej6939]

Meyer Lanski!

[@stepawayful]

I joined when I did my DNA, but it's pricey and I think I found all I could. But check out what I learned: After unsuccessfully trying to find my great grandfather's name on the ship's registry, I scanned the registry name by name and found a Yiddish version of his first name and a very distant variation of our last name. I saw who he traveled to Ellis Island with (wife and 2 year old son) and boom! I found my real last name! Thanks @ancestry!

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

This is incredible! A HUGE congratulations!!!💗

[@Mrrngglory3043]

Many local library systems subscribe to Ancestry and other pay genealogy sites, and patrons can access for free using the library computers.

[@lilivonshtup3808]

@@Mrrngglory3043 Thanks for the tip.

[@gardensofthegods]

I think before you had all those places out there that we have in these modern times there was and still is the Church of Latter Day Saints ...the Mormons . I saw years ago in National Geographic that they had over 2 billion birth and death and marriage certificates in a huge vault assault near the Salt Lake it's underground . Personally I suggest if a person wants to get their ancestry done they might want to contact their local Mormon affiliate . I am not a Mormon but about 7 years ago I called their headquarters and spoke to a lovely young lady there who was very kind when I told her I could never get the local chapter to return a phone call to me and I wanted to verify something in our ancestry .

[@sandybruce9092]

@@gardensofthegodsYes! When I started my genealogy journey back in 1984 everything was hand written - all my notes, my Great Aunt’s notes (which I still have). I’m,iced in Phoenix and our Mormon library was out in Mesa, quite a drive from my home. It was and still is a very large library because there is also a Temple there - and there were always volunteers there to help with anything. We had to find almost everything in books that helped us find the surnames we wanted - and then went to more books, microfiche and printed materials. There was no Ancestry (I’ve been a me,nee for many years) - but there was also much free info available later on we could request from the big library in Salt Lake City. New family genealogists have so much to be grateful for with the technology we have today. Every single time I go to my Ancestry account, I find more new info Inc,using pictures I’ve never seen before. Even my husband (who has no clue about Ancestry) has also gotten the “bug” and has found much info in his family % which he writes down on paper, takes a picture with his phone and then sends to me in another room in our house😄😄😄🥴. I’ve had a DNA kit sitting and waiting for me to do and send in - I’m going to do this this week! And I’m going to purchase another kit for my husband so he can also do one.

[@alonealien1474]

3:08 This got me thinking about my grandfather. He was orphaned as a child and drifted from place to place to survive. The good thing was that he was a good student who received scholarships, got to go to college and build a life for himself from there. I can't imagine how scared and alone he must have felt as a young boy. I have lived a life of privilege compared to that.

[@patriciajrs46]

Yes, haven't we all in many ways.

[@jennymunday7913]

Morris would have been proud of Seth, and he would love that his hard work paid off to cause his descendants to have ease and choice in their life.

[@jv-ep2tc]

seth did not get where he is without hard work.

[@1313tennisman]

@@jv-ep2tc yes but hes also from a well off background giving him the ability to pursue his passions because he had a lot to fall back on. His ancestors like Morris made this possible.

[@Canadianlove]

@@jv-ep2tche got a push unlike those who have nothing and nobody to give them the push

[@Ivehadenuff]

At age 64, I remember a peddler with horse drawn cart, used to come around to my street periodically. I knew as a child, this was from the old days. My mother did buy things, like pots and utensils, from his cart. This episode jarred this very old memory.

[@stephanieyee9784]

I'm 61 and remember my mother buying clothing from the boot (trunk) of a travelling salesman's car once a year. We lived in the country and had no dress shops close by and at that time we had no car.

[@M_SC]

64 seems very young for that. I read about it in Anne of green gables and the Farmer boy book from Little house on the prairie

[@carolsaia7401]

Im only 61 but I remember the Williams Dairy milkman going door to door in Berkeley, Oakland CA. We have lived in a remarkable time span!!

[@1ACL]

I'm 62 and the milkman used to come in the house and put the milk in the fridge for us!

[@davidserlin8097]

In the neighborhood of Brooklyn where I used to live (Carroll Gardens) there is still a man with a small handcart that goes around the neighborhood to sharpen knives and do a little fixes on metal equipment. You can hear the clatter of pots and pans from a block away.

[@AnyoneCanSee]

I'm not an American but I think one of America's greatest strengths was that a large percentage of those that arrived were the ones from across Europe and the world that not only dreamt of a better life but had the courage and wherewithal to leave the little village and travel all the way to the new world. My great-grandfather came from a family of 11 and every single one of them left for America, Canada or Australia apart from my great-grandfather. He went to fight in WW1 and was a professional soldier right through to fighting again in WW2. He then became a professional drunk - we are Scottish after all.

[@moonlily1]

Professional drunk? You mean, someone will pay you for it? Why did my guidance counselor never tell me this was an option?

[@nogglebeak]

they usually had no choice. they came from abject poverty and famine.

[@JJ-ze6vb]

Just don’t think that one generation‘s resourcefulness necessarily carries over to the next.

[@dianemcewen6484]

One of America’s greatest weaknesses - slavery, which brought great wealth to some Southern whites & which is being actively denied by redumblicans today.

[@marydonohoe8200]

He had a lot to forget. 🙁

[@embrio.]

They didn't mention it, but it looks like "Meyers" is an anglicized version of Morris's father's first name, Mejer.

[@DrNancyLivingCoCreatively]

My Italian dad was 1st generation born here. Faddioni was changed to Frye at Ellis island. Notice the fancy e. Dad became an MD. I have two doctorates. Life was tough but I feel so blessed. I work in epiginetics now. Dr. Gates is a hero and Iove Seth. I worked for some Chinese educators. They could not believe I am 2nd generation.

[@deborahklinlger8565]

This story shows the creativity of our ancestors, using the skills we learned along the way to survive. Growing up with my father, he was a do it urself because he lacked a complete education or the funds to higher his education. I often tell people my dad was the first to buy & flip cars in the 1950'& 1960's. With 5th grade education he drew up the plans for my childhood home which he built himself. Never completed grade school & very little high school or GED. He was a self taught man. Only if he couldn't do it himself then he would hire someone. My dad was the type of man to give someone the shirt off his back if he needed it with no questions. Everyday I think of him & miss him.❤ 🙏 RIP.

[@lmc2375]

And it's ok that he didn't have it on paper, his education. He had something better, hands on experience, drive and the inclination to succeed just the same ... and he did.

[@deborahklinlger8565]

@@lmc2375 Ty.

[@daveg6839]

I saw Seth Meyers do standup in Vegas a few years ago and he addressed the fact that people think he's Jewish when if fact he's not. He said something like "the only thing Jewish about me is my name, my nose and everything else about me". So, also his Lithuanian great great grandfather.

[@rumigirl]

I've heard him say the same thing on his TV show. So did he really not know he was Jewish, or of Jewish origins? Sounds like he did know, on some level. Wish we could see the entire session with Mr. Gates, so we could see whether this was really the first time he'd considered what his true roots might be.

[@1313tennisman]

@@rumigirl to be fair the majority of Seths family isnt Jewish. Only his paternal grandfather or great grandfather is of Lithuanian jewish origin.

[@KaraZiasapiens]

​@rumigirl As someone who also has a Jewish name and looks Jewish, you can definitely go, "Wow, what a weird coincidence," without having any clue or feeling as to the truth of the matter. If I learned tomorrow that I did, in fact, have Jewish ancestry, my reaction would probably be similar to Seth's.

[@douglasw9624]

My mothers side of the family was known for being very funny, often to the expense of others. Inadvertently in my research, I was able to actually trace that trait back three generations to her 2nd great grandfather, Erin Bates. I came across a family history for Erin's brother where the writer complained about the teasing and jibs Erin gave to his brother The brother apparently did not mind because they moved together to the same town. But it was apparent from the written history that his descendants were not amused. We are now up to 6 generations of smart-alecks I'm afraid.

[@patriciajrs46]

Oh dear! Runs in the family. Hmm.

[@christopherwelch136]

Knowing that Seth is a member of the tribe makes me happy.

[@mjc42701]

I love Seth, this was so cool, to see the things his ancestors did to make his life possible.

[@anish3183]

Seth is a class dude.

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

Couldn't agree more!

[@JM-nf5vh]

I took a tour of a restored lower east side tenement building in NYC. During the tour, they said that a lot of Jewish Lithuanian immigrants in the early 1900s changed their names to assimilate with Jews from Germany. The perception was that Lithuanian, and other Eastern European Jews from Poland and Russia, often had diseases such as TB, so people were less willing to hire and associate with them. I’m guessing that was what motivated Morris to change his name.

[@bucsr.6106]

Seth is so humble. Let’s keep him!

[@globalheartwarming]

Humble in that great confident way we've come to know and love instantly! 😉

[@IsaDesOsiers]

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Harvard department head, literally introduced me to modern genealogy with his very first special on PBS. I love these shows and wish I had the resources to extensively research my family tree as he does here for his many guests. Some return more than once to do a deeper dive. I find it really enriching to watch this show.

[@EricaGamet]

You might look into using the national archives... either online or in person in D.C. or in another major city. My mom used to volunteer at the one in Denver... could do her own research when it wasn't busy.

[@patriciajrs46]

Yes, it is a great learning too. At what cost, though? Professional genealogists are expensive.

[@user-kj7io6fb7j]

Seth is so humble. Let’s keep him!. This is my favorite one of this series. Seth reacts perfectly!.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for dropping by, Meyer. We're so glad you enjoyed this clip from our episode with Seth Meyers. 😊

[@AulicExclusiva]

Morris Trakiansky's father's name was Meyer [spelled "Mejer" in German/Yiddish/Polish]. Add an s and you have the genitive "of Meyer".

[@carinam.9447]

At least in today's German the spelling would also be Meyer, or Meier (with an i, not a j), there's also Meyr, Mayer, Maier and Mayr 😅. My name is also Meyer, incredibly common last name in Germany (I think 2nd most common if you put all the different spellings together), makes genealogy pretty hard, the name appears a few times in my families' history.

[@JerzyFeliksKlein]

@@carinam.9447 In Polish you can also coma across Majer also a quite a common name.

[@nancydellinger303]

Am I the only one who noticed Morris’s father’s first name was Mejer?

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

I noticed too, Nancy! ;)

[@ChristopherBradfield]

Yeah, I wouldn't think the choice was much of a mystery.

[@JenniferBrown-hm4sx]

I’m struck by how much Seth’s father looks like Morris.

[@SrbKuc]

Moris' fathers name was Meyer. Its obvious that he took his fathers given name and made it his own last name (which is common).

[@lilacswithtea]

good point. that explains all the "johnson's" and "jackson's" and "adam's" and whatnot.

[@joelouis-arena4061]

@@lilacswithtea In Scandinavia it’s tradition. Or used to be. Today we get the same last name as our parents. Depending on their situation, ofcourse, not all couples are married. Historically a man named Erik (regardless of last name) would have a son Eriksson or daughter Eriksdotter as their last name.

[@SaraBlu]

right. Which is really Eric’s son and Eric’s daughter. Common in many languages, I think in Iceland it’s still like this?

[@carolinekaplan542]

By the way my great grandfather came from Lithuania at 16 in 1908. Jewish federation helped underage immigrants get to places , eat and start small businesses. Mine was a cobbler before he went into steel then real estate then a furniture chain then owning the Cadillac hotel in Miami Beach in the forties and fifties and sending his sons to Wharton and Harvard. Even the girls went to college. Our surname was Kaplan which didn’t change. Most Jews didn’t get last names until the 1800s . It’s important to know the name and the village so you can determine what aunts uncles and relatives were slaughtered in the Holocaust because they didn’t get out to America or Israel or east into the Soviet Union.

[@fretnesbutke3233]

I have a ton of music trivia in my head. The composer Aaron Copeland suspected his actual name was Kaplan before his parents emigrated to the U.S.

[@carolinekaplan542]

@@fretnesbutke3233 many Cohen are Kaplan’s.

[@blackeyedsusan727]

You should say most Ashkenazi. Most Sephardi have have had surnames since at least the European Middle Ages. My family is one of those.

[@carolinekaplan542]

@@blackeyedsusan727 true. Great name by the way for KZbin.

[@Alexandra_Indina]

1908... basically, Russian Empire.

[@tallguy2023]

If his family name was Jackal, THAT would have been amazing...

[@enmunate]

That’s what the Lithuanian name originally means.

[@kyriosity]

His father's name was Mejer, and they really can't figure out how he came up with Meyers? 🤦‍♀️

[@agriff1022]

I was just going to post the same thing

[@PhillyFrank1]

I'm assuming they did; it just didn't make the edit for this trailer.

[@heatherwhite2788]

Noticed that too

[@Noise_floorxx]

It says where they got the name but not why he changed it

[@differnet]

Did you watch the video. They are talking about the original name Trakianski (sp?).

[@coltenh581]

It’s amazing to me that people can hear stories like generational housing wealth starting this far back and then in the same breath say there is no systematic disadvantage for black folks. It’s very cool Seth was able to do this, but it just reminds me of another family that did something similar recently and found out his ancestors used to be OWNED on the property he now calls his own. Just wow what a difference

[@bigfoottroisiemepartielave1759]

Seth's story is not the story of every White person in America and neither is your friend's story the story of every Black person in America. Frankly, we'd be better off judging the issue of discrimination on a case-by-case basis rather than using blanket terms like "White privilege" and the idea that every minority was and to an extent still is a victim of racism. All that that sort of thing leads to is a society of one-upmanship where nothing really gets accomplished and poor people of all races just stand around arguing about who had it the worst. And that is EXACTLY what we have now.

[@debbabe2254]

I saw that story on 60 Minutes. Fred Miller, Air Force veteran, purchased an estate named "Sharswood" in Virginia. Upon researching the homes history, he discovered his ancestors were slaves there. Fascinating 60 Minutes story. The video is on KZbin.

[@coltenh581]

@@debbabe2254 Thanks for adding the details. That's where I saw it

[@pagielicious]

So true. Also consider the recent story in the news of the black family who owned and lost Manhatten Beach, CA a hundred years. L.A. county just decided to return it to them after all the legal haranguing. It's now purported to be worth near $22M.

[@LunaSalo]

This was on my "Recommended" list and I wasn't sure why. Then when it was said "...a small town in Lithuania" it all made sense - sincerely, a Lithuanian.

[@doloresbasilio8367]

My mother’s grandparents came from Lithuania and used the surname Meyers, too, coming to USA in 1800s. But their Lithuanian surname was very different than Seth Meyers family’s surname.

[@SrbKuc]

Meyer means 'landholder' in Yiddish. There would have been many families with this surname (especially in Luthuania). If one person became a 'landholder" then it would be normal for his family and descendants to take on that name

[@SrbKuc]

@Coke: Jiles- Zachary Shamon Mac Leod he was 'son of the landholder (Meyer)'. Hence why he called himself Connor Meyers (Meyer with an 's') and not Connor Meyer :)

[@judithbreastsler]

seth myers got the yiddish knack for humour

[@PhillyFrank1]

I was surprised to discover that Seth was not raised Jewish -- he does have the sense of humor.

[@arielanonymous7270]

Lol Morris meyers looks so much like Seth's dad

[@Catherinzsl]

Am I the first jackal here? "Seth Trakianski" is one heck of a *Correction.*

[@kenhedrick3366]

Thank you Professor Gates. You have much to teach. I love to learn.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Ken, we are glad to see that you enjoy Finding Your Roots! Thanks for watching.

[@stevegabbert9626]

How cool would it be to sit across the table from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and have him go ov er your won genealogy? One of my favorite shows.

[@thegardener3650]

I like Seth SO much more than the Jimmys. He seems SO much more genuine than them, and he doesn’t do that fake, annoying laugh that the Jimmys do ALL THE FREAKIN’ time.

[@esperanzaarce9563]

My grandfather lived through the Mexican revolution and for reasons unknown he changed his last name to his mother's maiden name. My mom never knew why since she never met her grandparents, but I think maybe her grandpa abandoned his family and that's why her dad decided to change it. It's something we'll never know.

[@supernatural5354]

Same! But I'm pretty sure my great grandfather did something illegal and that's why he changed it. 😆

[@primrosed2338]

Is it possible that his father was French?

[@nicolad8822]

Nothing to do with Spanish naming traditions?

[@esperanzaarce9563]

@@nicolad8822 in México they follow the Spanish custom too of listing the first name followed by the paternal and maternal last names. Don't know much of his background but I suspect he may have been well educated since I've found documents written by him that are well worded and excellent calligraphy. Which would have been quite uncommon at the time.

[@Chuck0856]

These stars get access to materials and help we mere mortals would never have access to.

[@Walls2008]

These are such hard stories, with people who had so little, at times not even the right to hope. And they thrived! These are such honest, hopeful stories, I am given inspiration by them.

[@KarinaTheDreama]

These stories are priceless. Seth I feel like Morris peddled w a light heart, making ppl laugh along his way. ❤ Thank U host & PBS for this miraculous programming. 😊

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for watching! We hope this video inspires you to dive deeper into your own family history.

[@kristenpeterson3930]

His fathers name was Mejer, probably pronounced Meyer. The masculine genitive case ending for German nouns is “s,” and since they’re so close, I imagine it’s the same in Yiddish. So “Meyers” means “of Meyer.”

[@Coni2009]

Always amazes me that when we look at great great grandfathers we are looking at just one individual out of sixteen who contribute to what makes us what we are, and we focus on that person to the detriment of the other fifteen, but I guess you have to find the most interesting story for television.

[@somethingdiffrant]

This is my favorite one of this series. Seth reacts perfectly!

[@PhillyFrank1]

Would love to see Seth's brother's and parents' reaction to these discoveries.

[@naomiarram5187]

Not to be a downer, but his dad chose a different path, and to end that lineage. Don't get me wrong, Seth's mom is awesome. But ...

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

Likewise!💗

[@C2C.]

@@naomiarram5187 It's quite clear he married the woman he loved. Should he have chosen someone else simply because she's Jewish?

[@naomiarram5187]

@@C2C. Re-read my comment, don't put words in my mouth, and have a nice day.

[@C2C.]

Then please explain what you mean by your first comment.

[@thepressgirl]

I just love listening to people's family history. It's just so interesting to see who their past ancestors was and what they did.

[@mgb5170]

Were... who they were (not was)

[@patriciajrs46]

​@@mgb5170Thank you.

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

Mind-blowing indeed! This is absolutely incredible!💗

[@ThunderPants13]

Reminds me of the episode of Ren and Stimpy where they are working as immigration officials at Ellis Island and some immigrant tells Stimpy his name is Chad Jones and Stimpy tells him that's too confusing so he assigns him the name Begayho Bagdasarian.

[@cloisterene]

He is a spittin' image of his ancestor.

[@imtrex521]

You are a good soul, Seth, and your Ancestry proves that!

[@joshuaphillips755]

These are the most touching infomercials I've ever seen.

[@SH-sr5ol]

I love the name Trakianski. Has a great ring to it.

[@RechtmanDon]

Seth, it is quite possible your GGF could have had a passion for improv or some sort of performance arts. My GF immigrated from Poland to escape the Tsarist army, sold handmade caps on the street corners of NYC that he made with a hand sewing machine. He later went into the shmata business. When my father was in 10th grade, he had to leave school to work in the factory due to an injury his father sustained; he never graduated or even got a GED, yet ended up teaching a HS chemistry class, college business courses, and served as a legal assistant at the EPA, a position that required a law degree that he never attained. At age 90, we had a conversation in which he and I discovered that his passion that grew out from his tenth grade English and drama classes was to be a theater writer and director. He ended up having that experience vicariously thru my performance arts career. At age 91, having been laid off by the EPA a year before due to lack of funds, he died from an acute case of job hunting. At best count, during his long life he retired on 15 different occasions.

[@andyh027]

These are the best ads I've ever seen. So well done, so fascinating.

[@zanna9857]

All of my grandparents came from Finland in the 1890s. I'm 100% Finnish thanks to DNA tests. I have lots of family there. Though I'm super proud of my Finnish roots, there are no surprises or excitement in my family tree!

[@conjasummerlin1414]

Let me ask this. Finland is a country at a cultural crossroad. What does it mean to be 100% Finnish? I have an ancestor from Finland, but she was Swedish. Sibelius was a Swedish Finn. There are also Slavic Finns. Are you 100% Suomi?.

[@moot9798]

i like that hairstyle on Seth so much better than his usual mullett.

[@cheskaarana6097]

This got me thinking, it really does take many generations before someone can have the luxury of even just having a choice in life, especially pertaining to following passion.

[@maggietaskila8606]

Another aspect of his family is that they kept the family home in the family. They valued their inheritance enough to keep it which in Itself is hard to do over multiple generations.

[@MarleneMeier]

My dad came to America when he was 15. He doesn't know who his dad was and his mom took that secret to her grave. I have s very colorful story of both my immigrant parents. Wish they did stories of non-famous Americans.

[@mjferroni]

Mmmm I’d like to point out that Trakiansky… basicaly translates as from Trakia which is a region in Bulgaria and the Republic of North Makedonia… so probably his ancestors were not even from Lithuania originally, but migrated up north from the Balkans.

[@Chutney1luv]

Most people came here on different ships! Some came for a better life while others came and lost their life! I am so glad that Seth Meyers Great grandfather came here for a better life, like most! He sent money home to his mother; is what most people are still doing! Taking care of their families back home. Some shorten their names because the letters were to long or married someone with the Meyers name! I so enjoy this Show!! 👌

[@annefriendly4437]

This is really close to my family story, when my grandfather landed in Montreal. A modified last name, working has a metal Peddler, and sending money back to Europe to get his family over to him.

[@sparky3156]

My family's name was Deveshinsky. When they arrived at Ellis Island in the late 1800s, the immigration clerk didn't want to bother spelling it on the forms, so he told them "from now on, your name is Cohen."

[@shainazion4073]

Was the family Cohanims

[@faithlesshound5621]

That sort of thing was still going on in British hospitals in the 1960's and 70's. When young men and women with Asian or African names were employed, the locals found their names too much bother to pronounce, let alone write, so they were allotted English-style names for hospital use, though they were not made to change them officially. This ended when everybody went on-line, and the IT people gave everyone a username "based on" their real name for use on the intranet. However, if the IT people got it wrong, they were (depending on status) stuck with the wrong spelling. Doctors sometimes gave patients a "hospital name" in the same way.

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

My last name has a similar history only I believe it was because the people who worked for immigration regulation in the 19th century kept on spelling it as it should be pronounced (which is strange because there was a large number of German immigrants coming to America in the early to mid 19th century). The irony is that a lot of people pronounce it Goldstein nowadays. In Germany Stein is pronounced as Stine and it often refers to a beer mug or else a stone. I think the first interpretation is quite accurate because members of my dad’s family actually ran a brewery in Chicago before prohibition and I do enjoy a nice craft beer.

[@jayczzzya]

I can identify. My last name is actually a direct ancestor's first name. He was born in a French colony, but when when he emigrated to a British colony his first and last names were reversed.

[@jtidema]

My cousins are Meyers and they were originally Meyerwitz, which at least was close... Their father seems to have changed it in 1922 in NY.

[@genealogygeek6973]

Wonderful story.

[@janiceleeripley443]

When immigrants arrived in Ellis Island in NY, their names were often changed by the immigration officers to simply the spelling. Sometimes the name was chosen for them or shortened. Mejer was a family member's name so this could have been chosen and Americanized.

[@ExhaustedElox]

If you look at the family tree in the scene where they say he took the surname Meyers, his father had the first name of Maier. I hazard to guess that he took that surname to honor his father.

[@bobbifreedman2435]

He’s extraordinary.

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

He sure is!💗

[@tessieoshea6904]

I am curious. Does Seth know the family members who live in the Pittsburg home? Is that where Seth was born? I am sure there is much more to tell.

[@alexishagan6079]

I wish these were longer.

[@DrNancyLivingCoCreatively]

Spit my dinner out I laughter. Love Seth. My dads Italian name was Faddioni. Ellis made us FRYES. Dad was forced to become an MD. They were grocers. He disliked Medicine. I work in epiginetics. Dr. Gates is my hero.

[@sgarrita2561]

Hopefully they discussed the resemblance! Morris looks so much like Seth’s father and brother!! Wow

[@LaRaynaS]

What a brave young man

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

A very very brave man!💗

[@adamvoid555]

Wow, as a lithuanian myself I wasnt expecting that. Cool story!

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Dõmantas! We're so glad you enjoyed our clip, featuring Seth Meyers, and you're right, it really is a cool story. Hope you're having a great week!

[@debbienewton909]

At 1:29, pic shows this great-grandfather's father was Mejer Trakianski, so he chose Meyers as a last name, after the name of his father, and they were Ashkenazi Jew, awesome!

[@stereophonicsmom]

My great grandfather changed his surname at Ellis Island. He was from a long line of Sephardic Jews in Spain who were always in fear. I never knew that until I did the research. He never talked about it. I was very fortunate to hear some stories about his youth as we were very close but that was never mentioned. It wasn’t until I did my own research in college and Spain offered reparations that I was able to put it all together. I couldn’t afford to apply for reparations and all of our paperwork had the wrong name on it so I would have had to go back to his village and find the records. He never told my grandmother either or she pretended to not know. She was quite young when they came here. She just said we were gypsies.

[@e-spy]

I did a lot of research on ellis island. Many immigrants, when coming to the states were actually given their new last names by officials, especially if spelling the real one was difficult. It didn't seem like it was a choice. I believe Castle Island was the same.

[@EricaGamet]

My great-grandfather came through Ellis Island and changed his name on his own... he was Lithuanian and thought his name would make him stand out in his new home.

[@lindasteinfl]

When I attended a Jewish Genealogy conference in Boston they were emphatic that staff at Castle Garden or Ellis Island DID NOT change immigrants' names. Rather sometimes they based the name on an illegible manifest or or difficulty understanding the person because if language. This would lead to variations usually in spelling of the real name but not changes. In my family there was a legend about the"real" name that was "changed" to something else at Ellis Island. It turns out, the "real" name was actually my great grandmother's maiden name. Though the family name's spelling was modified.

[@e-spy]

yes, that did happen quite a lot. @@lindasteinfl

[@rls25132]

My grandparents all. came from differing Eastern European countries before the Russian Revolution, in the late 1800's. My parents died when I was young as did most of my family. I have tried all the registries with the names they used as US citizens. I never could find their Ellis Island entrance records or any other records I think all their names were simplified when they entered the US, more American sounding and they never told any of their children. As the youngest of everyone and the last of any generation who cares; our family is merely dead lost to history.

[@lindasteinfl]

@@rls25132 Also, Ancestry has genealogists for hire. Don't give up, the information is out there. You might also do a DNA test. That coukd lead you to family as well.

[@girlcheck]

Thank you to anyone who worked on genealogy in their lifetime. It was because of a great many people working individually that we have these records today.

[@imocchidoro]

This is fascinating to me having worked very hard to find my original family name. I never figured out however why my grandfather and his two uncles made such a drastic change. hmmm

[@marilynvallance]

Love Seth

[@Junzar56]

Why did they change the name? One ancestor of mine wrote”They did that in them days!”

[@FuckedUpGenius]

I always though it was a Dutch name, since a lot of Dutch people had moved to North America over the last few centuries, and Meijers is a Dutch name. It made sense to me that the "ij" was changed to "y", same pronunciation but easier to understand. I was so wrong. 🤣

[@MrAronymous]

It has both shared Dutch and German origins.

[@biegebythesea6775]

yeh true

[@annsanse2935]

my mother's family emigrated from eastern europe, arrived at castle garden and went on to the pittsburgh area. they were a family of card players. i've heard a million times about how my great grandmother would make the rounds visiting the neighbors every day and occasionally a local cafe, but no one really knew what she was up to other than maybe just being nosy. a mentalist i know, though, recently told me that bubba was a card reader and was telling people's fortunes, and so maybe pulling in some respectable cash for herself, too.

[@sjwilloughby-greene8214]

So interesting. ✌️

[@crimson5k440]

Beautiful! 😊

[@Anti-HyperLink]

I've subscribed to the channels of all the sites I do my family tree on and every video I see inspires me to keep going. It's tedious, though. Exciting, but tedious. It's fun when you start and you're adding a few generations, but then you start adding people that are connected to you by marriage and you're all over the place. You're adding your family and before you know it you're trying to find out where your grandfather's sister-in-law's nephew got married! I just made up a connection and a fact, it's just an example.

[@ilanafrank8342]

So true! There's an addictive quality to it, making it hard to give up once you've filled in the basics. But then nothing quite matches the detective thrill of tracing your roots back a couple more generations.

[@user-fg8it6kp3e]

I don't understand how your brain works. You need to see a doctor.

[@TheRebeccaDaviShow]

Keep going, never ever stop!💗

[@elizabeth4407]

Same! 💯

[@garysweeten5196]

The Fuller Brush salesmen carried pots and pans, medications, household goods when I was a kid.

[@natashafuller9832]

After watching several of these, it brings to light, most America's originate from somewhere other than America.

[@chezg806]

It’s interesting that they do this for these celebrities. With that said, how many of us regular people doing genealogy would love an opportunity to have this information provided?

[@AncestryUS]

Have you seen our show Roots Less Traveled? Or our recent film, "A Dream Delivered: The Hawkins Wilson Story?"

[@FindTheFun]

Wow you can definitely see the resemblance between Morris and Seth. That's crazy.

[@victorguzman2302]

I guess our family history is similar in many ways. Our forefathers were resourceful, strong and resilient to be able to survive in really bad conditions so later generations would be able to live more comfortable that them.

[@questionmark9819]

I had my name changed in order to "blend in" and it happens a lot more than people realise, it's fine as names go but I would have liked to have just left it.

[@batya7]

This was my best friend's grandmother's house. Yes, she is Seth's cousin. House is Not in the family anymore- they got that wrong.

[@NancyCronk]

Seth looks a lot like his ancestor, Morris. Very cool.

[@necrophobya]

It is crazy how much Seth's great grandfather looks like Seth's father Larry

[@AncestryUS]

Right? We can see the resemblance too! 😃

[@sherrillwhately7586]

My friend’s grandfather from Lithuania shortened their surname from Rosenbaum to Ross.

[@Mr_Rouge]

@1:32 Morris' father's first name was "Mejer"... That's where it come from, doesn't it ?...