Help:Conventions/Name row

Components of a name

Each Name row is made up of a series of name fields for entering each component of a complete name. Different fields are available, depending on what action is being taken.

Conventions for data entry

The Given name field

For the primary name (name at birth), enter first and all middle name(s). Don't include nicknames (which are entered as alternate names).

• When a full name is known, enter it in full. Don't use an abbreviation (e.g., Wm) even if the source does.
• Initials are acceptable if the full name is unknown or when recognized as part of the legal name. Enter them without periods. Separate multiple initials with single spaces (e.g., R J).

Use mixed case. Never use all capital letters.
Characters with accents and diacritics may be used (e.g., Bjørn, Françoise).
Punctuation may be used only if it is part of the legal name (e.g., Jean-Baptiste).

If the given name is unknown or an infant died without being named, leave the given name blank.

Don't include titles, surnames, numbers, or placeholder words in the given name field.
Don't use quotation marks, slashes, parentheses, or brackets ("",//,(),[],<>) to denote a nickname, alias, or unknown or uncertain name.
Don't use parentheses or brackets to indicate alternate spellings, e.g., Garret(t).

The Surname field

Enter the surname in full, including multiple parts and articles if they exist (e.g., St. Leger, van der Valk).

• Enter the name as it was used by the individual, including abbreviations if applicable (e.g., St. Leger).

Use mixed case. Never use all capital letters.
Characters with accents and diacritics may be used (e.g., Évêque, François).
Punctuation may be used only if it is part of the legal name (e.g., O'Neill, 't Gilde).

If the surname is unknown, leave the surname blank.

Don't include titles, given names, numbers, or placeholder words in the surname field.
Don't use quotation marks, slashes, parentheses, or brackets ("",//,(),[],<>) to denote an alias or unknown or uncertain name.
Don't use parentheses or brackets to indicate alternate spellings, e.g., Ro(o)ij.

The Name prefix field

Use the name prefix field for military, religious, or professional titles (e.g., Capt, Rev, Dr) that normally appear before a person's name.

Use mixed case. Never use all capitals.

Abbreviations are acceptable.

Don't enter Mr, Mrs, Miss, or Ms, as these words add no value and can be a distraction.

Leave this field blank if it is not applicable.

The Name suffix field

Use the name suffix field for:

• noble titles (e.g., Duke of ____)
• academic and professional designations that normally appear after a person's name (e.g., PhD, CPA)
• honorary titles (e.g., KBE)
• Jr, Sr, and Roman numerals (III, IV, etc.) when used as part of the name (see notes under additional conventions).

Abbreviations are acceptable.

Leave this field blank if it is not applicable.

The Type of name field

Guidelines for selecting the type of an alternate name:

• Commonly Used Name - a name the person often used instead of their full first name; this can be a variation of their given name (e.g., Tom, Jack), a nickname (e.g., Doc), or a middle name that they used instead of their first name
• Baptismal Name - a name assigned at baptism if different from the birth name (as occurs in some cultures)
• Immigrant Name - a name assumed after immigrating to a new country, such as "Johann Schmidt" becoming "John Smith"
• Married Name - a surname acquired as a result of marriage (if not implied by the existence of a Family page with the husband's surname)
• Religious Name - a name adopted for religious purposes, such as Sister Mary Magdalena
• Alt Name - any other name the person used besides their birth name, such as:
  • a step-father's, guardian's or adoptive parent's surname
  • a pseudonym, such as a stage name or pen name
  • a name resulting from a legal name change
  • where farm names were used instead of inherited surnames, a change resulting from moving from one farm to another
  • an alternate spelling that is not obvious (that is, a future researcher might not recognize it as the same name)

Examples and tips

The general principle to follow when entering names is simple -

Adopted names

Example: Kenneth Cayford Chapman was born a Cayford and adopted early by the Chapman family whose surname he used throughout his life.

If a person "adopted" a name during their lifetime that was different from their birth name, the adopted name may be entered in any Name row, as long as the birth name (if known) is also entered in a separate row and a note explaining the name change is added. Situations where this might apply include child adoptions, step-families, guardianships, legal name changes, stage names, etc.

Dutch names

Example: Cornelia Harkes was the wife of Sijbrand Harkes and daughter of Paulus van Hoek.

• Reference: Dutch names
• Articles that are part of the surname, such as van, der, etc., are to be entered in the Surname field.

English names

(example pending)

French names

Example: Francois Levron moved from Nantes, France to Canada and appears in cited records both as "Francois Levron" and "Francois Levron dit Nantais", known as a dit name. Note that it is not necessary to enter his given name again.

• Reference: French naming customs and French names and French Canadian Dit names
• Articles that are part of the surname, such as le, dit, dite, etc., are to be entered in the Surname field.

Scandinavian names

• Reference: Scandinavian naming customs

The use of farm names

• Farm ("gård" in Norwegian) names were used to identify where people lived in parts of Norway and Denmark until the late 1800s. If you are not certain, check the parish registers of that time and place to see if farm names were being used for other people. If so, you can assume that a farm name should be entered along with the patronymic in the Surname field for your person as well.

Example: Norwegian Elen Lande was the wife of Ole Lande. She was baptized "Elen Margrete", daughter of Gunder Ellingsson Berge. Per the Norwegian naming custom of the time, her surname consists of a patronymic plus a farm name. Since the Primary display name in this case is her birth name, it includes the name of the farm on which she was born. If she moved in later years, she may appear with a different farm name which can be added in a separate Name row as an alternate.

• Farms could be divided into holdings ("bruk" in Norwegian), and records occasionally will show the person with the name of a holding instead of the farm. In cases like this, the holding name may be entered in an alternate Name row, but the farm name should still be entered in the first row.

Example: Norwegian Kittil Jonsson was born in Sagabukti, part of the Hvideseid [Kviteseid] farm and parish. Some records show members of his family with the holding name Sagabukti, so it is entered in one of his Surname fields.

The use of bynames (epithets)

• Used in the Danish Isles prior to ???. They may be entered in in the Name prefix field.

Example: Dane Jørgen Hansen was recorded with the byname (epithet) "unge" (i.e., young), indicating there was an older Jørgen Hansen living nearby at the same time.

[cos1776 note: I don't agree with this convention. Bynames were usually temporary. In the example above, the younger Jørgen would likely appear in the records without the byname as soon as the older Jørgen died. Or, perhaps, he would now be recorded with the "gamle/gamla" byname, if another Jørgen Hansen had been born. Adding the byname as a prefix adversely affects sort (until we can get that fixed), and we do not typically enter epithets in the prefix field for other languages. I think it is perfectly adequate to include the byname in the source citation alone.

Spanish names

Example: Buenaventura Santiago Rosado had a Spanish compound surname with the variations above appearing in the cited records on her page.

• Reference: Spanish naming customs
• Surnames can be quite long and include articles, such as de and y.

Welsh names

Example: As was common in Wales at the time, Elizabeth verch Morgan's surname was a patronymic consisting of her father's first name "Morgan" and the possessive particle "verch" that identified her as his daughter. Had she been a son, the surname would have been "ap Morgan".

• Reference: Welsh surnames
• Articles in surnames may include ap, ab, ferch, verch, etc.

Why enter data this way?

The rationale for the conventions for each name field can be found on their respective conventions page. See "Related information and tasks" below.

Related information and tasks

• How to add a new Person page
• How to edit existing Person pages
• Name row conventions
• Given name conventions
• Surname conventions
• Name prefix conventions
• Name suffix conventions
• Type of name conventions