Names

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.

The Case of Mary Wagoner

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.

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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)

Popular Baby Names By Decade

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

Surname Suggestion List

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.

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Finding Women Ancestors

Leona Elliott of Augusta, Maine

Finding the names of women sometimes presents problems in genealogical research. Particularly difficult is finding the birth name or maiden name of a married woman, which might be the clue you need to go back an additional generation in your family tree.

Women change their names when they marry or remarry. Prior to the 1850 census, women (and any household residents except the head of household) were only listed as a tally mark. For many years, women were not allowed to own property in their own names or to enter into legal agreements. In some cases single women or widows had legal rights that married women did not have.

There is no one solution to these difficulties.

Suggestions

Check the early census records anyway. Remember your female ancestor may have been a head of household.

Learn about the laws of the time period — the legal status of women at the time and place determines any transactions the woman might have had with a government. Example: Women were able to vote in Wyoming by the 1870s, much sooner than the United States. Therefore, women’s names are on voter lists. Example: 1896 List of Voters District No. 9, Dayton, Sheridan County, Wyo.

Be alert to naming patterns — a child’s middle name or given name may be the maiden name of the mother.

In Census records or city directories, check to see who else lived in the household or in nearby houses. If you are lucky, you might find the wife’s mother or unmarried sister and be able to identify the wife’s maiden name.

Consult more sources — the sources for genealogists listed below have excellent lists and descriptions of places to search. Examples:  orphans and guardianship records, wills and probates, military enlistment papers (often listed father, mother, and siblings), and pension applications. See example: pensions

Some of the sources may seem unusual or unlikely, such as state statutes (session laws) or petitions to the legislature. Again, knowing the laws will be valuable.  Early in history, divorce was a legislative procedure in many states/colonies.

• Example: Charles Whitelock’s petition for a divorce, June 3, 1786, from Hannah Gray. Petition to the Delaware House of Representatives.

Sources For Genealogists

A Genealogist’s Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors: Special Strategies for Uncovering Hard-to-Find Information about Your Female Lineage. By Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway Books, 1998.
Not at University of Delaware Library
Good survey of difficulties encountered in researching women. Uses case studies to illustrate. Appendix: An Overview of Women’s Rights in America, a helpful guide to important events in laws about women, pages 96-100.  Other appendices include important dates in women’s status and a list of popular prescriptive literature for women. Includes an extensive bibliography.

Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebook for Women’s Genealogy. By Christina K. Schaefer. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1999.
Not at University of Delaware Library
Provides state by state resources with highlights of laws indicating the legal status of women: women and property ownership, marriage and divorce, citizenship, suffrage, passports, and more. Has an extensive bibliography of genealogical and social history sources. Lists types of sources often overlooked, such as license applications, petitions to legislatures, and records of prisons and institutions.This book is significant because the state listings and the bibliography include ethnic and national groups and regional information.

“Any Woman Who is Now Or may Hereafter be Married . . .” Women and Naturalization, Ca. 1802-1940.” By Marian L. Smith. Prologue 30, no. 2 (Summer 1998).

Find the Mothers in Your Family Tree (free on Ancestry.com)

Genealogy: What’s in a Name? (Family Education)

Sources for Records on Women

American Women and the U.S. Armed Forces: A Guide to the Records of Military Agencies in the National Archives Relating to American Women. By Charlotte Palmer Seeley, Virginia Cardwell Purdy, Robert Gruber, and United States National Archives and Records Administration. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library U21.75 .S44 1992.

“Daughters of Liberty: The History of Women in the Revolutionary War Pension Record.” By Constance B. Schulz. Prologue (Fall 1984): 140-53.
Not at University of Delaware Library.

Women’s History: A Guide to Sources at Hagley Museum and Library. By Lynn Ann Catanese. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference HQ 1121 .C38x 1997.

Women’s History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States. By Andrea Hinding and Ames S. Bower. New York: Bowker, 1979.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library – Reference HQ1410B .W64.

Sources on Women’s Lives

American Jewish Woman, 1654-1980. By Jacob Rader Marcus. New York; Cincinnati: Ktav Pub. House; American Jewish Archives, 1981.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library HQ1172 .M37.

Changing Legal Rights of Married Women, 1800-1861. By Elizabeth Bowles Warbasse. New York: Garland Pub., 1987.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library KF 524 .W37 1987.

From the Other Side: Women, Gender, and Immigrant Life in the U.S., 1820-1990. By Donna R. Gabaccia. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library JV6601 .W7 G33 1994.

A Shining Thread of Hope: The History of Black Women in America. By Darlene Clark Hine and Kathleen Thompson. New York: Broadway Books, 1998.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library E 185.86 .H68 1998.

Women in Modern America: A Brief History. By Lois W. Banner.  2nd ed.  San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984.
University of Delaware (Morris) Library HQ1419 .B35 1984.

Nicknames

“A Rose by any other name might be called Polly, Molly or Maude.”

Deciphering The First, Middle and Nicknames of our Ancestors. By Kathy Jones-Kristof.

There are many common nicknames. Knowing these can help you identify or verify individuals.

Agnes	Aggie, Nancy (a Scottish tradition)
Andrew	Andy, Drew
Dorothy	Dee, Dodie, Dolly, Dot, Dottie, Dora
Edward or Edwin	Ed, Ted, Ned
Eleanor	Elle, Ellie, Ellen, Helen, Nell, Nellie, Nora, Lenora
Elizabeth or Elisabeth	Beth, Betty, Bess, Betsy, Libby, Liz, Lizzie, Lizzy, Eliza, Liza
Frances	Fran, Fanny, Fannie
Francis	Frank
Katherine	Kathy, Kate, Katie, Kitty
Margaret	Peg, Peggy, Maggie, Madge, Margie, Midge, Mitzi, Meg, Daisy, Rita, Margo, Greta
Martha	Patsy, Patty, Mattie
Mary	Molly, Polly, Mae, May, Mamie, Marie
Nancy	Ann, Nan
Sarah	Sally, Sallie, Sadie
Virginia	Gina, Ginger, Ginny, Jenny, Vergie
III (meaning the third)	Tre, Trey, Terry

Tips

Know your family. Don’t neglect the collateral lines (brothers, sisters, etc., not in your direct line of descent).

The name Griffin is a common first name (given name) in my family (Coleman). Griffin is often called Griff. When I saw a family genealogy book say that there a Grief Coleman in the 1800 Census, I suspect that is a misspelling.

Ethnic and National Background

Sometimes a choice of nickname comes from the family’s background. In Scottish custom, an Agnes might be called Nancy.

Caution

As always, use good judgment and multiple sources in your research. Example: you can’t always assume that a name is a nickname for another name. Sometimes Sallie is just Sallie.

More Nicknames

• Common Nicknames & Their Given Name Equivalents
• 18th Century PA German Nicknames
• A Listing Of Some 18th and 19th Century American Nicknames
• Names & Nicknames
• Nicknames
• Nicknames
• Traditional Nicknames in Old Documents – A Wiki List
• Why is Peggy the nickname for Margaret?