1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

  2. Only registered members can see all the forums - if you've received an invitation to join (it'll be on your My Summary page) please register NOW!

  3. If you're looking for the LostCousins site please click the logo in the top left corner - these forums are for existing LostCousins members only.
  4. This is the LostCousins Forum. If you were looking for the LostCousins website simply click the logo at the top left.
  5. It's easier than ever before to check your entries from the 1881 Census - more details here
Cookies Not a member of the forum? Are you at the right site? Is this the right site? New feature!

Entering surnames

Discussion in 'General Genealogical Queries' started by cedllechryd, Sep 3, 2020.

  1. cedllechryd

    cedllechryd LostCousins Member

    Hi I have a problem of entering a surname of a cousin who was married before ( her husband died), before but in the drop down boxes the name asked for is her maiden name, but the name on marriage records show her first married name. If you try to enter her original name it changes the household list to her 1st married name. Has anyone else had this happen to them and how do you overcome it?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 3, 2020
    cedllechryd, Sep 3, 2020
    #1
  2. Tim

    Tim Megastar and Moderator Staff Member

    Hi, what site are you trying to enter this data?
     
    Tim, Sep 3, 2020
    #2
  3. cedllechryd

    cedllechryd LostCousins Member

    Lost Cousins
     
    cedllechryd, Sep 3, 2020
    #3
  4. peter

    peter Administrator Staff Member

    A woman's maiden name is her surname immediately prior to her first marriage. See this newsletter article from July.
     
    peter, Sep 4, 2020
    #4
  5. Tim

    Tim Megastar and Moderator Staff Member

    Can you take a screen shot of this actually happening? I can't think where there is a drop down list? Or do you mean an auto-fill feature?
     
    Tim, Sep 4, 2020
    #5
  6. cedllechryd

    cedllechryd LostCousins Member

    When you enter a new household after putting in husband, on entering the wife's details you have the option of putting in extra information and a series of boxes appear that you can put in maiden name , corrected surname, etc
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 4, 2020
    cedllechryd, Sep 4, 2020
    #6
  7. peter

    peter Administrator Staff Member

    I'm not sure what you mean by the 'household list', but the surname that appears on your My Ancestors page is either the corrected surname you have entered (shown in italics) or else the surname that appears in the census. Maiden names are not displayed unless you click Show more detail.
     
    peter, Sep 4, 2020
    #7
  8. Sue_3

    Sue_3 LostCousins Member

    If you enter someone with a different surname to the previous household member (because their surname as shown in the census transcript is different to that of the previous person - which might be because you have entered a corrected surname for the previous person) then when you click '+' to enter another person in the household, the surname defaults to the surname of the person you've just entered. Is that what you mean?

    Firstly, you can overwrite whatever shows up as the default surname with the surname that is shown in the census transcript for the next household member.

    Moreover, if someone has a maiden name or any former surname or alias then that should not be entered as a corrected surname. You only need to enter a corrected surname where the surname as enumerated in the original census record has been transcribed incorrectly.
     
    Sue_3, Sep 5, 2020
    #8
  9. peter

    peter Administrator Staff Member

    The aim of entering a corrected surname is to help your cousins find the entry (via the /index of Incorrect Surnames). So if the surname written down by the enumerator was wrong, you can correct it whether or not it was correctly transcribed.
     
    peter, Sep 5, 2020
    #9
    • Thanks! Thanks! x 1
  10. Sue_3

    Sue_3 LostCousins Member

    Yes, that's right of course, I didn't think of that when I was writing my reply!

    What I was trying to clarify was that you should only put the person's surname at the time of the census, and not any former surname, as a corrected surname.
     
    Sue_3, Sep 5, 2020
    #10
    • Agree Agree x 1

Share This Page