Kienlen - That's a Tough One!
I grew up a Kienlen. Usually, I had to tell people more than once how to spell it - two Es and one I? - or is it the other way? I believe my ancestors had to do the same thing. It was often misspelled in newspapers and on documents - Kinlin, Kinlen, Kienlin, Kenlin, etc. My immigrant ancestor spelled it Kienlen, just as it had been spelled on his German Christening record in 1799. His uncle who immigrated to the UK also spelled it Kienlen, but the family later changed it to s