Tag Archives: surname

How To: Use Names, Not Just Relationships

When identifying people on pictures, writing about them in your research notes, or asking someone about them, try and avoid only using a relationship to describe the person.

Writing “John’s Grandma” on the back of a picture is helpful, but still pretty vague. Who was John and which Grandma is it?

When asking your own Grandma questions, asking her to tell you something about “Grandma” may result in her not talking about who you think she is talking about. Ask her about a specific person–referring to them by name.

When I asked my Grandma questions, I was less confused if I said something like “tell me about your Grandpa–John Trautvetter” instead of asking about “Grandpa Trautvetter.” When I asked about “Grandpa Trautvetter” it took me awhile to realize she was talking about her dad who was my dad’s Grandpa Trautvetter.

Try and avoid creating more confusing and don’t refer to people only by their relationship.

I Have the Same Last Name As My Pa

Just because a female has the same last name as her father does not mean she is unmarried. A relative of my had the maiden name of Mattie Huls and her husband (unrelated) had the last name of Huls. It is always possible that a woman marries a man who has the same last name as she does.

Note from Site Admin: One reason could be that this is not her maiden name but she had a prior marriage. In my own family, the woman’s husband died and she married his brother. It might not be a maiden name.

Names With Apostrophes? (with a How To)

Databases do not always handle names with apostrophes in the same way. O’Neill may be entered in a database as ONeill or O’Neill. Make certain you search both ways or find out how these names are handled.

Smihts in That Database?

Have you considered the possibility of transposition errors when searching that online database? Is there any chance that Smith was entered as Smiht?

Flip Flop Those Names

When searching first and last names in a database, consider interchanging the first and last names. It can easily happen in the creation of a database or in the taking of the census. The chance is slightly higher if the first and last names are ones that could “go either way.”

If your ancestor was named Johnson Gibson, is there a chance he is listed somewhere as Gibson Johnson?