Google name variations

A guide to Google name variations in ancestry research.

When I first started writing Google search queries for my ancestor and historical research, I would start by entering my ancestor’s name with the impression/hope that Google would provide me a list of all the pages containing relevant information. Over time I learned that searching the Web is a skill that can be learned, and with a bit of practice, you can find the information you seek.

Google Name Variations in Ancestry Research
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I have written several articles sharing a few principles of what I have learned. These articles can make a huge difference in your ability to search and find information about your family, no matter where it is on the Internet. It will require a little work initially, but you will reap the rewards again and again.

In this article, I am going to talk about how to effectively search name variations and surnames, and add genealogy keywords to Google name queries in ancestry research.

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Search for Every Name Variation

It’s essential to search for every variation of your ancestor’s name. You never know what first name your ancestor will be known by. Think of yourself, friends, and relatives. Some go by birth name, nickname, middle name, initials, title, etc. Be on the lookout for these variations with each census. When you find the name variations, go ahead and search specifically for that name. The following are examples of the type of references you will find.

Middle names

It was common for our ancestors to name their children after parents and grandparents and give them a middle name by which they would be known. For example, James Albert Johnson would be known as Albert or Bert Johnson.

Initials

I have found names changing from census to census using the initial. For example, James Isaac Steward in the 1800 census became J. Steward in 1810, James. J. Steward in 1840 and James Stewart in 1850.

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Nicknames

I have found many occasions where nicknames are used instead of the birth name. I have made it a practice to always include possible nicknames in my family profile just in case I need to search for variations of the name.  The following are examples of nicknames I have found.

  • Margret becomes Meg, Megan
  • Mary becomes Moll, Polly, Molly
  • Eleanor becomes Nell, Nellie, Nelly
  • Richard becomes Dick
  • Robert becomes Bob, Dobbin
  • James becomes Jim, Jimmy

Maiden and married surnames

In many cultures, it is common for the female to change her maiden name upon marriage to her husband’s name. Search all variations of the female names for all surnames by which she was known. For example, I have found the following name variations relative:

  • Mary Jones (Youth)
  • Marry Schreiber and Marry J. Schreiber (Marriage 1)
  • Mary Johnson and Mary Johnson (Marriage 2)
  • Mary Wagner and Mary Jones-Wagner (Marriage 3)
  • Mary Jones (After divorce 3)

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Name abbreviations

Be on the lookout for name abbreviations used at different periods. For instance, it was common during the 1800s for people to use abbreviations for names when writing. These abbreviations were used to save space on paper. Examples include:

  • Wm for William
  • Thos for Thomas
  • Edw. for Edward
  • Geo. for George
  • Nath. for Nathaniel
  • Zach. for Zachariah

Titles

Look for references in a person’s life where they may add titles to their given names.

  • Given at birth (e.g., Steven Banks III)
  • Provided to distinguish one person from another (e.g., Anthony Boyter Sr. and Anthony Boyter Jr.)
  • Associated with a period of time such as military service (e.g., Colonel George Halls or Colonel Hall)
  • Associated with a profession (e.g., Dr. Riley Clark)
  • Associated with education and professional certifications (e.g., Mary Fairbanks, PhD., David Gardner, CPA)
  • Based on gender (e.g., Mr. Kirby, Mister Kirby, Mrs. Ritter, Ms or Miss Sessions)

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Association

There are times when their association with other individuals will refer to individuals. A standard reference is when a female is married, not only will she be known by her husband’s last name, but she may lose her first name altogether.

  • Ellen Bailey (Maiden name)
  • Ellen Hawkins (Last name changed when married to Gordon Hawkins)
  • Mrs. Gordon Hawkins (Referenced by association /marriage to Gordon Hawkins.)
  • Gordon Hawkins first wife (Referenced after her death)

Descriptive reference/nicknames

Individuals are given fun or descriptive names within groups and families, which don’t even include the person’s name which can be based on experiences, body features, talents, or for no reason at all. These references can become lifelong references. For example, each one of the boys in my father’s family had a nickname based on something they did and was used throughout their life by family and close friends,

  • James Schreiber was known as “Frip”
  • Lawrence Schreiber was known as “Jiggs”
  • Arthur Schreiber was known as “Wimp”
  • Kent Schreiber was known as “Stew”

Other examples of people I have known in my life include:

  • “Red” or “Carrot Top” for having red hair
  • “Slim” for being thin
  • “Tex” for coming from Texas
  • “Wrong way” for getting lost as a youth
  • “Dr. Dunk” for being able to dunk a basketball
  • “Mr. Touchdown” for achievements in football
  •  “Tink” or “Tinkerbell’ for love of Disney characters or being small
  •  “Big Jim” for being heavy-set
  •  “Smitty” for having the last name of Smith

When you come across name variations, I suggest that you search for each name in a unique Google search using Google search tools such as the OR operator, (“ ”) operator and (*) asterisk wild card. See these tools as referenced in this book for a more detailed explanation of using them. Sample queries include:

  • “John Jacob Jager Sessions” OR “John * Sessions” (for John Jacob Jager sessions)
  • “J. J. Smith” or “* Sessions” or “J. J. J Sessions” (for J. J. Smith or J. J. J. Sessions)
  • “Jacob Sessions” OR “Jager Sessions” OR “* Sessions” (for Jacob or Jager Sessions)
  • “mr. sessions” OR “sessions” (for Mr. Sessions or simply Sessions)

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How to Search Common Surnames

There are surnames like Green, Blue, Bench, Church, Rice, Smith, and Jones that tend to be “generic” or “common,” creating a more significant amount of page returns in genealogy. There are several strategies you can use to simplify and focus your search queries called modifiers.

Add genealogy words

Some words are commonly used in genealogy like birth, birth, marriage, burial, burial, cemetery, and genealogy. Add these words to the search query.

  • “John Jones” born or birth
  • “Mary Smith” genealogy and family

Add location

If you know your ancestor’s location, add that to your search query. For example:

  • Stanford “Springville”
  • Rice “Maryland” OR “MD” OR “Md.”

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Add the name of spouse or parent

In genealogy research, many documents such as wills, histories, marriage, birth and death certificates include the names of family. Add these names to your search such as:

  • “John Fox” “Martha”
  • “Edward Brown” “Albert Smith”

Add date ranges

If you have a specific time period in which your family lived, add a date range (..) to have Google search for the name between a time period. A search query is written as “1901..1910” will look for references between these dates. Sample search queries follow:

  • “John Jones” 1932..1936
  • “Robert Church” obituary 1965-1969

Add multiple variables together

The following are examples of using multiple modifiers in one search query. For example:

  • “John Beckstead” “Iowa City” 1915..1927
  • “Thomas Bench” genealogy OR history Nevada OR “NV”

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Adding Genealogical Keywords in Name Searches

Add genealogical terms to your surname search string and repeatedly search with different emphases. When I am searching for genealogy, I have found adding genealogy-related terms to my research query to help focus Google to search databases and pages that focus on these topics. The following is a list of suggested key terms to include in your searches:

  • Born, birth
  • Died, death
  • Married, marriage
  • Buried, burial
  • Cemetery
  • List, index and roster
  • Genealogy
  • Family
  • History
  • Surname
  • Will
  • Probate

Notice there are multiple words that reference the similar topic such as “born” and “birth.” Do you use one version over the other? No. You need to search both words because you are looking for references of the words. Remember you are looking for situations where the words were used. The format and examples of a search query are as follows:

  • Format: (search string) “(genealogy word)”
  • “Thomas Hulett” “birth” OR “born”
  • “Jeremiah Wilson” marriage
  • “Miles Dodson” “list” OR “roster” OR “index”

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Other Google Articles for Ancestry Research

The following are other articles you may enjoy to help you Google your ancestry.

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