Family History and Indexing

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Friday, August 20, 2010

Helpful Name Hints

Guidelines for Indexing Names
  • Type the most complete version of a name

Please take time to scan the entire document. In one place, the name may be C.H. Johnson. In another place, it may be Chas. H. Johnson. In yet a third place, the name maybe written as Charles Henry Johnson. Type only the most complete name

  • Titles and terms do not go in the Given or Surname field

Titles such as Jr., Sr., Mrs.,Miss, Senor, Senora, Don, Dona, Captain, Dr., or terms such as Unknown, stillborn, twin, or infant are entered in a Title or Terms field if it is available as a column in the project.

  • Punctuation in Names

Include punctuation that is part of a name: like O'Rourke, if it is written on the document. Do not include punctuation such as a period after an abbreviation or other punctuation that is not normally part of a name.

  • Abbreviations

Sometimes names are abbreviated or a portion of their letters are written raised above the rest of the name, resembling a ditto mark. Type what you see, typing all letters on the same line. Do not guess what the abbreviations stands for unless directed to do so by a specific project.

  • Maiden Names

Maiden names are considered surnames and should be typed before the married name in the Surname field. If you cannot determine if a name is a given name or a surname, type the name in the Given Name field.

  • Indexing "Mrs. John White" :

When a woman's name is recorded with her husband's name instead of her own (such as Mrs. John White), look throughout the record to see if her given name is included elsewhere. If it is, index the most complete name that is recorded (such as Amanda White). If it is not, mark the Given Name Field as BLANK, and index the last name in the Surname Field. Do not index titles or terms such as "Mrs" in either the Given Name or Surname Field.

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