Well, Fritz, your email is a lot to take in; it's hard for me to evaluate it all with my limited geographical and linguistic skills. But I will press on and on.

I do understand surnames were eventually required at one point in time after years without that directive, record-keeping being the reason I think. Surnames often originated from the place where you live, the occupation you have or a quality you are known for. I tried looking up lehner and messen and connected them to whitewasher and lesser or minor. But what do I know? I don't know Hungarian or German, that's for sure.

I think your last proposal may be the place for me to start. Here's why...On familysearch.org, I have found many spellings of the last name, seemingly following a spelling change over the years. This is a partial list of the spellings I have found:

Meszenlekner

Meszenlechner

Meszlener (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6S1-GYD)

Messenlekner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZ2T-2RB) The father of this child has the same surname of Klucsarits that my maternal great grandmother has, who married Ignacz Messenlehner mentioned below.

Meszlander

Meszlaner

Meszenlehner

Meszlehner

Meszlenyer (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8DB-4X1)

Meszlenner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCPZ-X64)

Messenlehner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V4VX-LN8) The father in the record is my great grandfather's father and has been verified by other family members.

Messenlehner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZ2T-G8W) This is a Messenlehner with the same first name as my grandfather's first name of Ignacz or Ignatz.

Meszlauder (2 dots over the a) (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZ2T-B4S)

Meszliner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8J9-7FM)

Messzenlehner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XK5M-X98)

Messetler (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X2M5-4XW)

Meszenlener (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZ2P-XHC)

Meszleiner (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XD1J-LRF)

I realize some of the differences can be attributed to incorrect/different spelling from the transfer of the original record to this database as well as other factors. But some of the surnames are so similar I think they deserve a second look.

Thanks for answering. Your have a wealth of knowledge helps me interpret my information in new light.

Bonnie