What's In a Name

The quote by William Shakespeare continues, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” What’s in a name, indeed. It is the main focus of our search. Who was he or she? What name was recorded in documents throughout their life?

When searching for an ancestor, it is important to know who ruled the area and when. For example, Louisiana, not the individual state but the larger territory, was ruled by France, then Spain, and returned to France before it became a part of the United States. If the area you are searching has changed hands many times, it may affect your search results.

If multiple countries ruled the same area at different times, your ancestor’s name might appear differently over the years. Here are some examples:

John - English, Juan – Spanish, Jean – French, Johann – German, Joannes – Latin

Albert – English, Alberto – Spanish, Adelbert – German, Wojciech – Polish

Katherine – English, Catalina – Spanish, Katarina – German, Katarzyna – Polish

Elizabeth – English, Isabel – Spanish, Isabeau – French, Elzbieta – Polish

Not only can first names change, but last names may have changed as well. Keep in mind that some people were illiterate, and the person recording the information being given may have spelled the name phonetically if they were unfamiliar with the actual spelling.

If searching for a name is not returning results, it is time to get creative. Try various forms of the name.

Hebert, Eber, Haybare, Abear

You get the picture.