Thanks for the advice Tom.
Well, it wasn't really advice, merely a suggestion for consideration based on your previous interests.
I know that one set of my ancestors dropped a letter and adopted my current last name. It cause some problems in my geneology searches.
If "papers were lost" it could be that the name was changed for some reason.
One option might be to check for a timeframe and check Ellis Island for immigrants entering the country.
Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the U.S. as the United States' busiest immigrant inspection station for over 60 years from 1892 until 1954. Ellis Island was opened January 1, 1892.
If you can pinpoint the timeframe to the month and year you might check the ships coming to port in NYC during that time. If you check manifests for similar names, you might find them. Its also possible they changed their name to refect a combination of both.
Once you have the mane and the ship you can track where it ported from, which may give you a good local starting point. Transit systems were not like today. People tended to use a nearby port (unless they were on the run).
Another thing you might consider is the earliest first names and middle names of your ancestors. People tend to honor their families with their children's names. Names that are regionally distictive may also help you pinpoint a starting location.
Try to concentrate on materinity lines. While names usually reflect paternal bloodlines, physical features tend to reflect maternal bloodlines.