Some of my ancestors were from the southwestern part of Macedonia, in what is now northern Greece, but was then part of the Ottoman empire. They were from a few small villages around the city of Lerin (Greek name Florina): Lagen (or Lagin, Greek name Triantifilia), Nered (or Neret), Babcho (or Bapchor).

Of course, the surnames changed each generation, but at the time they emigrated, they were DIMITROV, EVANOV, and ROUZI (or RUZHI). The NAUMCHEV and ASPROV families may also have been related. Most of them fled from Macedonia during the first Balkan Wars, around 1908-1914, and went to America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Does anyone have relatives from this area, and/or with those surnames? Any advice on how to do research there would also be appreciated.