I am researching my cousin's family. Her grandmother had the surname Smercina (Missouri). But when I found the family in the 1880 census in Illinois the surname was Smrcina.
My question is: Is this a surname in Slovakia or a place name? When I search using the word on google.com I get American surnames and hits for Czech hotels among other hits.
On the census I found for the family Czec, Slovakia, and Bohemia were used for place of birth.
Judy Cobin