Of all the problems encountered in genealogical research, names represent some of the toughest.
1. Different Persons with the Same Name
Naming patterns. Relatives can have the same surname and given names. Children can be named after relatives, living or dead. Religious or ethnic practices. Odd coincidences can happen.
Example of a common naming pattern (from In Search of Your British and Irish Roots.)
- First son was named after the father’s father
- Second son — the mother’s father
- Third son — the father
- Fourth son — the father’s eldest brother
- First daughter — the mother’s mother
- Second daughter — the father’s mother
- Third daughter — the mother
- Fourth daughter — the mother’s eldest sister
Example from German (and Pennsylvania German) naming patterns (from 18th Century PA German Naming Customs; German-American Names, and Pennsylvania German Pioneers)
Children might be given a spiritual (or saint’s) name and a secular or “use” name. All the children of the same gender might have the same first name. Johan (Johann) was very popular for boys and Anna and Maria very popular for girls.
Johan Geog, Johan Frederick, Johan Jacob. Each of these people would use their “middle” name as their given name.
2. People Who Should Have the Same Name But Don’t
Why can’t I find my ancestors in historical records?
Illiteracy
Spelling variations; spelling wasn’t “fixed”
Phonetic spellings
Damaged or difficult to read documents. Example: badcopy
Bad copying
Names in different languages and different alphabets (transliteration: to represent or spell in the characters of another alphabet). Example of Russian names: Tchaikovsky
People change their names and the spelling of their names for various reasons, such as to americanize or anglicize) names.
Translations — sometimes people used a translation of their name; Stein becomes Stone; Zimmerman becomes Carpenter
Jr. and Sr. — these do not always mean a father and son of the same name
Example: list of passengers on board the Ship Holland, Aug. 19, 1796. (From Pennsylvania German Pioneers, v. 44, p. 87) Why are many of the given names in French?
3. Gender Names and Nicknames
Gender names — Names that specifiy a sex and names that can be either male or female.
There are some traditional nicknames that appear frequently in papers and records. Mary: Molly, Polly, Mae, May, Mamie, Marie. Edward: Ed, Ted, Ned.
4. Finding Your Women Ancestors
Problems related to researching women.
5. Suggestions
Make a surname list with spelling variations. Keep good notes on what you have searched and what spellings you searched where.
Try varying your search strategies
- Search by first name instead of surname
- Use middle name or initial (or initials for first and middle names)
- Search by place only
- Search with fields (e.g., last/first name) rather than keyword or search by keywords instead of last/first name fields
Google searching — look at the search tips. Can use plus and minus and quotes:
- +james +smith +tennessee
- rice –cook –recipe
- “james smith”
Soundex (sounds like)
- Formal – Soundex refers to a system of coding names used to index records for the 1880, 1900, and 1920 Censuses. The indexing was not complete for the 1880 Census. Work done in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Later: in the 1960s, a similar coding system called Miracode was used for the 1910 Census, but did not include all states.
Soundex Research Guide | Soundex Indexing System | Soundex Converter - Informal – some search systems (example: Ancestry Library Edition) provide a “soundex search” they have devised
- Create your own list (and add to your surname search list)
Fuzzy searching (“Did you mean?” – word roots or spelling variations). Used by Google, other search engines, and some databases. Example: search for Phillipines in Google.
Help finding variant spellings:
“Surname Suggestion List” free software to download. Developed by Matt Combs.
Surname Resources: Is there a published genealogy on your family? Is there a Surname association or society? Is anyone researching your name?
Directory of Family Associations. By Elizabeth Petty Bentley. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1991.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference CS42 .B46 1991.
Genealogy Links (Everton Publishers)
Links to many family websites
Try old print indexes or microfilm. Yes, the indexing in online services can miss names or interpret handwriting differently.
Sources
Ask the Expert–Changing Your Surname (free on Ancestry.com)
Question: If my grandparents changed their last name when they came to the U.S., how do I research them?
Creativity Required: Surname Spellings & Variations
Deciphering The First, Middle and Nicknames of our Ancestors
Do Not Assume – Common Mistaken Assumptions in Genealogy Research
The Effect of Immigration on Surnames
18th Century PA German Name Spelling Idiosyncrasies
18th Century PA German Naming Customs
Hooked on Phonetics . . . The Many Misspellings of our Ancestors’ Names
The Importance of Given Names (by Donna Przecha on Genealogy.com)
Name and Word Spellings (Genealogy.com)
The Social Security Administration has compiled several resources about given names.
Spelling Substitution Tables for the United States and Canada (FamilySearch)
Contains: Commonly Misread Letters Table and Phonetic Substitutes Table
Free downloadable software created by Matt Combs. Will generate a list of names and spelling variations based on the name you are looking for.
They Changed Our Name at Ellis Island (by Donna Przecha on Genealogy.com)
Author explains that not as many names were changed at Ellis Island as people think.
Top 10 Tips for Finding Alternate Surname Spellings & Variations
American Surnames. By Elsdon C. Smith. Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co., 1969.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference CS2485 .S63.
Family Names and their Story. By S. Baring-Gould. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1969.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference CS2501 .B35 1969.
German-American Names. By George Fenwick Jones. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1990.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference CS2487 .J66 1990.
In Search of Your British and Irish Roots: A Complete Guide to Tracing Your English, Welsh, Scottish, & Irish Ancestors. By Angus Baxter. 4th ed. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1999.
Not at University of Delaware Library.
Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808. By Ralph Beaver Strassburger and William John Hinke. Vols. 42-44. Norristown, Penn.: Pennsylvania German Society, 1934.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library F146 .P45 v.42-44.
Sources for Surnames
Directory of Family Associations. By Elizabeth Petty Bentley. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1991.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference CS42 .B46 1991.
Genealogy Links (Everton Publishers)
Links to many family websites
Genealogies in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography. By Library of Congress and Marion J. Kaminkow. Baltimore, Md.: Magna Carta Book Co., 1972.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference CS25B U54 and U5415 (2 vols. and supplements).
Surnames, Family Associations, & Family Newsletters (Cyndi’s List)
Also:
Higginson Book Company
A publisher that specializes in local history books and published genealogies. Offers a print on demand service for books that are out of print.
