From WCCO-TV (of Minneapolis, Minn.), posted Nov. 24, 2005:
Family Name Conjures John Wayne, Gentle Ribbing
Bill Hudson
Reporting
(WCCO) Many associate the Thanksgiving holiday with the Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock.
But the Pilgrims were more than religious wanderers. For some it was their family name.
[snip]
"There are no problems, but a lot of questions about the name as far as, 'Did your ancestors come over on the Mayflower?'" [Leslie] Pilgrim said. "I wish I could say yes, but they didn't."
[snip]
While many credit the English for the "Pilgrim" name, it's actually a derivative of a French word for a voyageur or wanderer.
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