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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)
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