My family surname is Hedges but our ancestry is obscure other than we know they were Gypsies who were living in Kent, England at the turn of the 20th Century. I have discovered an entry in the London Gazettes of a couple of Hungarian immigrants who had applied to change their name by deed poll from 'Hegedus' to the anglicized 'Hedges'. Does anyone know if this was common?
The meaning of the name (fiddle player/repairer) would certainly fit in with the image of Hungarian Gypsies, however, I realise I may be barking completely up the wrong tree. I would love to know if anyone has an ancestor who also changed their name in this way.