How are you using surname index pages? [closed]

Question

Hi WikiTreers,

I'd like to ask for your help. If you use surname index pages (e.g. ADAMS) for functional purposes, exactly what are they? How and why are you using the indexes?

A secondary question: do you include people with the Current Last Name for any of your purposes? For example, if viewing the Adams index, would you ever have a need to include the people who have Adams as their Current Last Name instead of just people who have Adams as their Last Name at Birth?

The main functional purpose I'm aware of is to manually search for duplicates. Resorting everyone with the same surname by first name or birth date can reveal duplicates that otherwise wouldn't be found.

There are other purposes. They help Google index our profiles. They expose new visitors to what we have to offer. They're hubs for navigating to other surname-related pages and functions. But what other practical purposes are they being used for?

Thanks!

Chris

P.S. I ask because surname pages take a lot of resources to build and maintain. We might be able to eliminate some unused functions and make them more efficient for the purposes they're actually being used for.

Answer 1

I use them for looking at which people are profile managers for the name I am looking at, so I can check to whom I need to write.

I also like to look at the locations of the profiles in the index, so as to map out the migration patterns of that surname.

Comments

Interesting. Thanks, Ros. This is one-name study work?

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Most of the time, yes. :)

Answer 2

I don't think we have an index page such as the Adams example unless they were built by individual people, not the Project per se.   We have a standard surname list which includes some (but not all) variations and dit names here:  https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Space:Acadian_Standard_Names&public=1

On the Current Last name, we definitely use both names for the Acadian project.  Sometimes a profile was made with a different last name or variation of the name so we put the standard last name in the Current last name so it can be found.

We also use the Other Last names to put all the variations of that spelling that are found for that person.  In the 1600-1700's spelling varied greatly which is why we use all the name fields.  We try to capture the variations because someone could be searching for this person using any version of the name.  Adams might not have very many variations but Cyr, Melanson, Bourg, and many others do.  I've found the same in Quebec.  Priests wrote what they heard or they were in a hurry, or the pen was making spots or the page was burned and hard to read, or the person informing them didn't know. . .  Lots of ways to get different names.

Comments

Thanks, Cindy. I don't quite follow you regarding the Current Last Names. I understand why you're entering surname alternates, but would it do harm to the Acadian Project if surname index pages did not include people with the CLN? They would still be found in searches.

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I guess that would mean the surname index page as built wouldn't have the name we would be looking for then?

Let's say Bourc was used as LNAB, but the standard name is Bourg which we would put in Current Last name.  Does your question mean the Surname page would not include Bourg in the list, only Bourc and any Other Last Names such as Burke, etc?   Bourg would be the most important one to include and it might only show in the Current Last name.  Does that example explain how I was thinking about it?

Answer 3

Chris,; some of the things you mentioneed are also uses I make of the surname index page. Here's one that I think is unique...

Often when I am adding a spouse who's genealogy is not of my interest, I will add a "profiles need creating" tag to the profile and go looking for ancestors of that person. After adding a research note listing the parents I have found, I'll check FS trees to see if there is an ancestor already on WikiTree (using the surname index) and include that in the research note, too. This way, if someone else comes along and wants to expand on that family, they'll have a starting place.

Comments

Thanks, Pip. Sorry to be dense, but can you explain this part more: "I'll check FS trees to see if there is an ancestor already on WikiTree (using the surname index)".

By "FS trees" I assume you mean FamilySearch? How checking FamilySearch relate to using the surname index pages? I'm totally misunderstanding something. :-)

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Chris, I’ll use the tree link on Family Search to look for an ancestor pretty far back for a person I’m working on but won’t expand on. Then I go to the surname index to hunt for that ancestor. If I find him or her, I’ll add in a research note that the person I’m working in is descended from so-and-so on WikiTree and add the link to the ancestor. So, if someone comes along later, they’ll have leads for further research.

Answer 4

I use them for the name study I'm a member of and for finding people who have first names that are commonly misspelled.

I'm trying to think of the best example, but there are common spelling changes or mistakes that the search engine doesn't catch. So for Friedrich Tigges, for example, I would just search "Tigges" to pull them all up. I then sort alphabetically and I'm able to find if there's a Friedrich, Fredrick, Frederick, Fredrich, Fred, F, etc... with the dates I'm expecting. I'm able to find a profile I would have missed otherwise about 2-3% (ish) of the time I try this, which is a lot when I'm working on connecting profiles constantly. I don't think it's a matter of needing the search to be better/different, because sometimes the names are just too different.

Hopefully that made sense :)

Comments

Thanks, Jayme!

Regarding the first name variants ... there may be an announcement on this coming early next week. :-)

Answer 5

This is my most used report (mainly because of one click to use) and all-most always sort by DOB.

I use it to see if a person has a profile in Wikitree.

Also to see if there are dups with dates that are close. (It would be nice to be able to compare two people.

I too use it to see who is working on a surname. It's hard to find and navigate the Contributors report.

One problem is it doesn't always show different spellings i.e. Devlin and Develin. I've added them to the external Wiki list but to date, it has not picked it up. It would nice to have the search page to have multiple last names.

Comments

Thanks, Richard.

Two little notes:

• Did you know about the "merging and matching" link in the header? It enables you to check boxes for people to compare.
• A surname variants update should be coming next week.

Answer 6

I sort the surname index by date, and then manually search for people in the same general area, and same general time period, as the person I am researching. This allows me to find families that may be related, and maybe find duplicates. Clicking on a profile also allows me to see what these other profiles are using for sources. I am always looking for new sources.

I know how to search a surname by location, but this is unreliable. This is because location names frequently change, plus people don't use consistent names (e.g. Connecticut and CT). Also, people moved between adjacent towns and adjacent states, so I may not know an exact town or state.

Currently, the surname index only shows birth location. It would be helpful to show death location too.

Comments

Thanks, Rick. Good info.

FYI, I think the only reason we don't include the death location is that it would clutter/crowd the table. If members wanted it added, we could probably add it, at least on the dynamic view.

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I do the same as Rick--sort by date and then look for peripheral family members who may also be at WikiTree so I can connect them (and for duplicates of course). So birth date and location are important.

Answer 7

I sort by date to look for potential duplicates when I have found a family, such as the Lee Family, that has multiple false lineages.   I also use it to look for an existing profile that may just have a different date or different spelling of the first name.

Answer 8

For the most part I use the Surname index to find possible duplicates. I also use it to locate profiles by date, when same names are an issue.

Answer 9

I use them, sorting by alpha order and/or by date order, especially when working common names like Reed or Whiting/Whiton. I have also used unsourced, suggestions, orphan and unconnected for ancestor surnames. I also use them to see G2G activity and related free space pages.

Comments

Thanks, Kay. Keep working those Whitons!

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Actually James Whitten-1555 isn't a concern. When/if I ever get done playing with the app, I do want to look at Theophilus Hall-1583 or Ezekiel Woodward-328 or Samuel Bissell-30 or Kingsbury-21.

Answer 10

I use a Surname page for almost all of the reasons stated so far. Most often I'm in table view, sorted by birth, but I sort by Edit Date too & also use the default alpha sort (if sort by manager was an option, I'd use that too, but Ctrl+f search serves too, just not as useful, since it doesn't group the profiles managed by the same person together).

Most often, I am looking to see if a person has a profile for someone new to WikiTree who posted a name of who they're interested in. I also periodically look at the surname pages for surnames in my tree to see what's new (sort by Edit Date, then birth year to check generations).

I also use the Surname page as a quicker 1st check to see if the name has a One Name Study (the "Adams Project" box leads to the one for Adams)... if not, I'm off to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:One_Name_Studies which takes a bit more doing, with 3057 subcategories & more than 2000 space pages [assuming I didn't lose count of how many "next 200"s I clicked just now, 2018]).

Answer 11

I use the Surname index to find possible duplicates.

Answer 12

I use the surname index regularly to find profiles and search for duplicates. I almost always search by date of birth.

It is certainly one of the last features of the site that should be eliminated or cut down.

Comments

Thanks, Lois. There is no discussion of eliminating surname index pages. They're an important part of WikiTree.

When you say you use them to find profiles, do you use them to find profiles with the name as a Current Last Name, e.g. would you look for Abigail Adams on the Adams index?

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Yes, I would. In any case where the LNAB of a person is not known to me, which is almost always a married female, I look under the married name that I do know.

Answer 13

I make use of the links on the surname index page all the time:

• access to the quick links for unsourced, orphaned, and unconnected
• a quick look at the related surname spellings in the upper right corner

As far as the data on the page itself, I never use it. If I want to look at actual profile records, I immediately switch to either live data or table view. Is there a difference between table view and live data? I use them interchangeably, whichever I happen to click first.

From the table page, I do all the things that everyone else has mentioned. Most frequently used are sorting by edit date and, because the column can't be sorted, searching for profile managers. 

Answer 14

I use the surname index for many reasons already mentioned. It is very helpful for One Name Study work. I also use it extensively when I am Connecting, looking for who is already on WikiTree to connect to. The location information is useful for this. I do look at Current Last Name when I do this. Numerous times I have found a spouse already has a profile on WikiTree this way. Looking at the Current Last Name in combination with the Last Name At Birth pinpoints possibilities.

(edited to spell out the abbreviations)

Answer 15

I'd never use the surname pages for a common name like Adams.  I use them to search for oddball names in my ancestry.  For example, I know that I'm related to pretty much every Hornbacher in the U.S.  If I find a profile managed by someone else, I'll try to get it connected to my branch.

Answer 16

I use them all the time for all the same reasons as previously noted. Another very useful function for those of us who work on more international profiles is the ability to jump from a list of one name variant quickly to another. 

Since the 'related surnames' here is a such a weak link , If I'm working on the Iacovelli family and have checked there for duplicates etc..., I can quickly pop over to the Iacovella family and do the same there.......

Answer 17

Mostly I use the Surname Index and sort by date to look for duplicates or possible parents by checking dates and locations.

Another use is that I use the Surname Index to work on profiles that are unsourced and not connected.

Answer 18

In addition to using it to find duplicates and other family members, I look for orphaned profiles for surname studies. I use the merging and matching tool for merging.

I'll admit, there's a lot of tools on there I don't use such as table view, project, limit to watchlist. I also don't use suggestion, unsourced, or unconnected, but I can see the value in those 3 for those wanting to work by surname.

Answer 19

Like many others who have already answered, I find the Surname Indexes very helpful to locate possible duplicates and also parents and/or children, siblings etc. as a Connector here.

Having both the LNAB and Current Last Name side by side is quite helpful as 90%+ of profiles that have different names are for married women (and a few "name changes" or adoptions) so that seeing both helps me limit what can be long lists for "popular" surnames.

Example: there may be 1000+ "John Smiths" and 100 had a wife "Rachel" but only 10 had a wife "Rachel Snow Smith".  That is how having the 2 together helps me.

Using the "born in XXXX year" date function also helps narrow the search as looking at each profile can be quite time-consuming.

Answer 20

I would agree that using this in a One Name Study sort of way makes this page really useful. However, I only use a handful of the links and features in the page.

What I use most often:

How many are in the list (top of page - total number with surname).

Sort by Date Order (good to know the oldest one in the surname list)

Alpha Order (by default, but good if I need to get back to the original)

I've not used it, but never realized there was an "Unconnected" there - that would be really handy if I'm trying to ensure all my Fulkersons are connected in some way. I'm probably OK if I had to find this another way.

Suggestions also sounds very useful, if I'm trying to ensure that all of those in my surname are up to code. But I'm OK if I had to find this another way too.

I also like the variant surnames, but I do sometimes feel "limited" by the variations - sometimes the one I'd like to see doesn't show up in the list and it turns out to be a variant of a variant of a variant before it shows up. Oh well - nothing's perfect.

I do occasionally use the first name search, but typically I use the full search function if I already know the first name and don't make it a two-step process to go to the LNAB first, then filter to first name.

I love the suggestion Ros had about the locations - I've done that as well when I'm looking for reasonable matches for another set of profiles I'm just introducing. For example, if I'm entering a Kris Kringle profile and he's from Norway in the 1400's, I might go to the Kringle's, sort by date order and hunt for other Kringle's from the 1400's who were also from Norway. It helps me track down potential connections I might look for.