| The classes of information that
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| | references the family to which he or she
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| genealogists seek include: place names,
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| | belongs. This is called the family name,
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| occupations, family names, first names,
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| | or surname. It is often also called the
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| and dates. Genealogists need to
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| | last name because, for most speakers of
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| understand such items in their historical
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| | English, the family name comes after the
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| context in order to properly evaluate
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| | given name (or names). However, this is
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| genealogical sources.
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| | not the case in other cultures, e.g.,
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| Place names
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| | Chinese family names precede the given
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| While the place names of an ancestor’s
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| | name.
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| residence or location of their life
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| | Patronymics are names which allow
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| events are certainly core element of a
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| | identification of an individual based on
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| genealogist's quest, they can often be
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| | the father's name, e.g., Marga
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| confusing. Place names may be subject to
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| | Olafsdottir or Olfa Thorsson. Many
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| variant spellings by partially literate
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| | cultures used patronymics before surnames
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| scribes. Additionally, locations may have
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| | were adopted or came into use. The Dutch
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| the same or substantially similar names.
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| | in New York, for example, used the
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| For example, the name Brocton for
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| | patronymic system of names until 1687
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| villages occurs six times in the border
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| | when the advent of English rule mandated
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| area between the English counties of
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| | surname usage.[2]
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| Shropshire and Staffordshire. Shifts in
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| | As with place names, surname and personal
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| political borders must also be
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| | name data may be subject to variant
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| understood. For instance, county borders
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| | spellings. Older records may include
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| in C17th-C19th England were frequently
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| | greater variation in spelling than modern
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| modified, with outlying and detached
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| | records. Phonetic spelling may be the
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| areas being reassigned to other counties.
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| | only link between two variantly spelled
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| Old records may contain references to
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| | names; e.g., "Quilter" and "Kieltagh".
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| Middle Age villages that have ceased to
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| | Records may also include completely
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| exist due to disease or famine.
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| | different variants of names, such as Mort
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| Many sources provide locations for our
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| | for MORDECAI.
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| ancestor’s life events and place of
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| | The transmission of names across
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| residency; these include vital records
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| | generations, marriages and other
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| (civil registration), censuses, and tax
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| | relationships, and immigrations also
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| assessments. Oral tradition is also an
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| | causes significant inaccuracy in
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| important source, although it must be
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| | genealogical data. For instance, children
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| used with caution. When no source
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| | may sometimes take or be given
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| information is available for a birth,
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| | step-parent, foster parent, or adoptive
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| death or marriage location,
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| | parent names. Women in many cultures have
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| circumstantial evidence may provide a
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| | routinely used their spouse's surnames.
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| probable answer based on the place of
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| | When a woman remarried, she may have
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| residence of the individual or the
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| | changed her name and the names of her
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| individual’s family at the time of the
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| | children; only her name; or changed no
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| event.
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| | names. Her birth ("maiden") name may be
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| Maps and gazetteers are important sources
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| | reflected in her children's middle names;
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| for understanding the places where our
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| | her own middle name; or dropped entirely.
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| ancestors were born, lived, married, and
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| | Official records do not capture many
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| died. They show us the relationship of
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| | kinds of surname changes. For example,
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| the area to neighboring communities and
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| | fostering, common-law marriage, love
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| may help us understand migration
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| | affairs, changes in career or location
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| patterns.
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| | may all result in name changes which are
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| Occupations
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| | not reflected as such in official
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| Occupational information may be important
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| | records.
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| to understand an ancestor’s life. Two
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| | Difficulties can also arise when
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| people with the same name may be
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| | researching family lines with common
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| distinguished by their occupation. Also,
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| | surnames such as "Smith", or surnames
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| a person’s occupation may have been
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| | common to a particular geographic area.
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| related to his or her social status,
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| | Many times, an amateur researcher will
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| political interest, and migration
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| | assume that a person is a direct ancestor
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| pattern. Since skilled trades often
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| | based solely on the given/surnames, only
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| passed from father to son, occupation may
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| | to later find out that this person is not
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| be indirect evidence of a family
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| | related or is a more distant relative.
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| relationship.
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| | Surname data may be found in trade
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| It is important to remember that
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| | directories, census returns, birth, death
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| occupations sometimes changed or may be
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| | & marriage records.
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| easily misunderstood. Workmen no longer
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| | Given Names
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| fit for their primary trade often take
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| | Genealogical data regarding given names
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| less prestigious jobs later in life. Many
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| | (first names) is subject to many of the
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| unskilled ancestors had a variety of jobs
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| | same problems as family names and place
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| depending on the season and local trade
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| | names.
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| requirements. Census returns may contain
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| | Additionally, nicknames for personal
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| some embellishment; e.g., from Labourer
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| | names are very common — Beth, Lizzie or
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| to Mason, or from journeyman to Master
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| | Betty is common for Elizabeth, which can
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| craftsman. Names for old or unfamiliar
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| | be confused with Eliza. Patty has been
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| local occupations may cause confusion if
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| | used as a diminutive form for Martha.
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| poorly legible. For example, an ostler (a
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| | Also, Amy used for Alice, and Nancy/Ann,
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| keeper of horses) and a hostler (an
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| | and Polly used for a number of feminine
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| innkeeper) could easily be confused for
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| | names including Mary Ann and Elizabeth.
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| one another. Likewise, descriptions of
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| | While the feminine names are the most
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| such occupations may also be problematic.
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| | confusing, masculine names can also
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| The perplexing description "ironer of
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| | interchange: Jack, John & Jonathan,
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| rabbit burrows" may turn out to describe
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| | Joseph & Josiah, Edward & Edwin, etc.
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| an ironer (profession) in the Bristol
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| | Middle names provide additional
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| district named Rabbit Burrows. Several
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| | information. Middle names may be
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| trades have regionally preferred terms.
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| | inherited, or follow naming customs.
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| For example, “shoemaker” and
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| | Middle names may sometimes be treated as
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| “cordwainer” have the same meaning.
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| | part of the family name. For instance, in
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| Finally, many apparently obscure jobs are
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| | some Latin cultures, both the mother's
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| part of a larger trade community, such as
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| | family name and the father's family name
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| watchmaking, framework knitting or
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| | are used by the children. Official
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| gunmaking.
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| | records may record full names in a
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| Occupational data may be reported in
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| | variety of ways: First, Middle, Last;
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| occupational licenses, tax assessments,
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| | Last, Middle, First; Last, First Middle;
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| membership records of professional
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| | Last, First, M.
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| organizations, trade directories, census
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| | Historically, naming conventions existed
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| returns, and vital records (civil
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| | in some places, where the name given to
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| registration). Occupational dictionaries
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| | one's children was sometimes dictated by
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| are available to explain many obscure and
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| | a particular formula. It is important to
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| archaic trades.
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| | recognize, however, that naming
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| Family Names
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| | conventions were not used in all families
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| Family names are simultaneously one of
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| | and did not always follow the same
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| the most important pieces of genealogical
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| | formula. They are just a pattern of
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| information, and a source of significant
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| | naming that was common in a particular
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| confusion for researchers.
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| | area during a particular time.
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| In most cultures, the name of a person
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