I want to research my surname, but I don't want to spend money.?

Question:

I want to research my surname, but I don't want to spend money.?

I believe my great grandparents were immigrants, from Germany, and our last name was so long that they shortened it to a six letter name because no one could pronounce it. Any idea where I could find out what my true last name is?

It doesn't even have any similarities with any German last names that I've found.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Most German names weren't that long or complicated. You need to trace your family line back, using birth/marriage/death records until you find your immigrant ancestor. Then you look for all the INS, census, church and other records you can find on him. Look for the year he arrived, then go looking for passenger records. I've been researching in Germany for about 25 years and can't remember a single name, outside of the Polish Germans, who shortened their names because they were complicated. In fact, most German names are still pretty true to their spelling before immigration.