What's In A Name? (Names in Genealogy!)

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CONSIDERATIONS: Genealogy may require a bit of above-average insight.

Examples:   A child may go by their full name in childhood, and then go by a nickname or even their middle name when they are older (or visa-versa).

For example – Jacob John Sturzenegger later becomes simply Jack Sturzenegger making it look like there are two separate people in the family.

HOWEVER:
If Jacob and Jack share the same date and place of birth
When Jack is around, Jacob John is mysteriously nowhere to be found on the documents
When Jacob is present, Jack is gone
We know that “Jack” is a nickname for Jacob
We might safely conclude (not assume!) they are one and the same. 

People making government records in times gone by are the ancient equivalent of going to the DMV to get high quality service.  They aren't paid that much and there's no real incentive to get it right and they hire whoever they can find.Without modern equipment, records were written by hand, sounded out according to their best ability according to various levels of education, filtered through languages and accents in a rush just to get the work done.Then it was stored on paper in non-watertight storage after being written with a smudgy quill/fountain pen and copied by hand with another quill/fountain pen by someone else with the same qualifications.
  

Additionally, you're “going back in time” on these documents and photos.  Names were very different than they are now in many cases.  Prediline?  Is a girls name, apparently.  Google can help you determine unusual names or unusual variants and their histories.

For one family, the surname “De la Mere” became “De la More” and then “More” and ultimately evolved into  “Moore.” Take your time to figure it out!
 

(Prediline is a girls....name?.....Predline?  Is that a "P"? A "T"?)

When deciphering handwriting on a document, if you come across an unusual letter or letters that you can't quite make out, or a name that is unfamiliar:

Compare it to other letters on the document in that document-writer's handwriting. Compare it in the context of other words you do know or can read so you can decipher what you're reading.

George Pleasants - Great! Know what a "P" looks like on this one!  It was a "P".

Immigrants to the US often changed their names to reflect their new citizenship. 

Various political winds (Such as World War II) might induce a family to change their name or go by a new alias.  Many Jews adopted German/French or other names in WWII.  

Alberto Georgio Carrara from Italy became George Albert Carrara from the United States!

Johan Freidrich Sturzenegger from Germany became John Fredrick Sturzenegger from the USA!

For example, I did find a census with a “John Chinaman” on the record of a set of prisoners (1870's here in Lafayette, Oregon).A further examination of the census listed him as a “prisoner” to the head of the home (One of my ancestors was a jailer who apparently “worked from home”).
His race was listed as “Chinese.”
Given the racial sentiments of the time, it is possible the white men couldn't pronounce his name, didn't care to, or given the cultural differences of the time – he wasn't talking and telling anyone his name. And so! Introducing: John Chinaman!

The name is John Wayne (Chon Wang)

Don't forget misspelled names! 

I've even seen Sturzenegger rendered Sturzengwyr – making searching for a name difficult.  Some of them way worse than this! Pay attention to variations and expand your search to include or account for them!

Very often you'll find ancestors listed in archives/records only by a first initial followed by a misspelled last name.

Try searching using just a first initial, or even just a last name or misspelled variant of the last name and see what results you bring up.
Very often:

L E S S  I S  M O R E

For example, while searching for Verne Millican in Yakima City, Yakima County, Washington, I might just search for a last name, first initial, in Washington and put the date of birth as “about” to see what comes up.  Sometimes I'll leave the location out to see if they pop up somewhere else!

Often if you're too specific in your searches, you won't turn up what you're looking for.


                                         Will the REAL Michael Bolton please stand up?

I'm the REAL Michael Bolton

 Just because the name is correct, doesn't mean you have the right person.

There is more than one “John Smith” in the world (No really! There are probably at least two!) and more than one “Michael Jordan.” Or even “Sr.” and “Jr.” in a family yet they may not have written “Jr.” or “Sr.” on every document. Beware of same names with similar birth dates and verify through other pieces of info such as birth place, parents' places of birth and so on. 

I'm the FAMOUS Michael Bolton

 Pay attention to birth dates and birth places and parental names when you start dealing with individuals with similar names.  Trust me, having the right name but wrong person can wreak havoc on a tree after you've done a ton of work on it, then you have to undo it, and depending on how you have them woven in, it may or may not be a lot of "fun" to undo.

Stuck on an incomplete name?  Try a “Wildcard character” such as a “*” or a “?” when using electronic media. 

For example, you know the first part of the name, but not the last part – or there are variations of the last part of the name – i.e. Millican/Milligan/Milliken/Milligen.

 For your search “Milli**n” or “Milli??n” or even “M*” (Depending on the software program you're using).

In the end, you'll develop a feel for names, people and places the more time you spend on this, but in the end?  SLOW DOWN.  Haste makes waste!  You'll get more done taking your time than you will running helter skelter down the wrong family limb and causing yourself to have to do more work later or creating work that you really can't use.  Slow down, enjoy the spirit, take in the scenery and have fun!