As always, you are very knowledgeable and, like all historians, need to find proof to confirm or deny family history. I agree. I didn't realize that there was no real process for adoption.
So, here is the overarching question: If there is some mythology herein, how does one explain the fact that 5 brothers in the same family, with the same parents all have 5 different family names?
Estimated time period: 1860s - 1890
Probable locations: Lithuania: either Kalvarija city or environs and/or environs of Vilnius
With your expertise and taking an educated guess -
when would these 5 brothers have 'gotten' their 'different' family name? at birth? as teenagers? before conscription?
would the family have have paid someone to use their family name? (iit would have had to be with a family which had NO sons)
was it through a friend/family?
This would help me search for names at birth or later.
