Name changes

Question

I need to confirm how to handle a name change when entering this ancestor.  Born as Johannes Olsson.  This is on birth records and emigration records.  However, after immigration he changed his name to John Nordstrom and this name was used on his death certificate.  I understand to put "Johannes Olsson" as name at birth.  However, where should I use John Nordstrom?  I

Answer 1

Debra ~

Nordstrom would belong in the Current Last Name field. 

Answer 2

In edit enter his surname Nordstrom in the Current last name field and under the biography section add a explanation of the changes in his names.

Answer 3

I think it looks fine now, Debra - at least the name fields are used correctly. With people who changed their names the name display may look a bit funny, until you get used to the WikiTree Way.

Also, you should remove the

{{Unsourced}}

- because he does have sources now.

Comments

BTW, it's interesting to know that they changed their name after immigration. I think many more immigrants did this - and then their poor descendants look in vain for them under the family name in the Swedish records.

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I think I removed the unsourced flag. The name change definitely complicates matters. I was lucky that my grandfather had a record of the family so I knew the names of the family that did not change their name after immigration. I just don't know the 'why' of the name change!!  He was the only one and he was not estranged from his brothers (I have not added them to Wikitree yet).

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Yup. Flag removal worked.

Yes, you were very lucky with your grandfather and his record keeping. I sort of think there doesn't have to BE a "why". At that time just about everybody in Sweden were adopting surnames. Well, not everybody - a lot of people also kept their -son names. But the were many, many who took names of the Lundström - Lindquist - Nordgren - Högberg - Ekeblad et cetera type. Just a sign of the urbanization. With the old patronymic names you more or less had to know which village Anders Persson came from to be able to know which one of the five Anders Perssons in the parish you were talking about. The towns were just too big units for this to work.