How To Merge Two People When Their Surnames Are Different

+2 votes
202 views

I have connected to a WikiTree user via our DNA tests at 23andMe.  We are 100% sure of the connections and we now have the same person here that needs to be merged.  The only slight problem is I have him as Robert Hick and my new 3rd cousin has him as Robert Hicks.  Looking around today at census info and other sources and the family appear as Hicks more often than Hick, so that should be the name that is kept.

I'm about to propose the merge and I'm wondering if the name variant will matter?

Other WikiTree Profile: Robert Hicks

WikiTree profile: Robert Hicks
in Policy and Style by Brenda Butler G2G6 Mach 4 (48.9k points)
retagged by Ellen Smith

2 Answers

+6 votes
 
Best answer
It very common to merge two profiles with different surnames. The preferred LNAB (based on wikitree LNAB guidelines) should be the surviving profile, so you merge the other profile into it. I believe that doing it that way is preferred to first changing the LNAB and then merging because anytime you change the LNAB, I believe wikitree actually creates a new profile, adds all the content from the old profile, and redirects any links to the old profile to the new profile. That's the same thing that happens with any merger, but now you will end up with 3 profiles and 2 redirects instead of just 2 profiles and 1 redirect if you hadn't changed the LNAB before the merger.
by Chase Ashley G2G6 Pilot (305k points)
selected by Eva Ekeblad
Thank you Chase.  Thanks for your explanation, the way you have put this makes perfect sense.  I should have waited, but at least I will know if it comes up again.

Thanks to Lynda also.
I'd like to understand this better. Does this mean, when merging two profiles with different LNAB spellings, the lowest numbered profile will not matter and you can choose which profile to "keep"?

"I'd like to understand this better. Does this mean, when merging two profiles with different LNAB spellings, the lowest numbered profile will not matter and you can choose which profile to "keep"?"

Correct

Thank you Chase!
+3 votes
It dawned on me after food(!)... the easiest way was for me to change the LNAB of my Robert Hick to Hicks and then propose the merge, which is what I've done.

Can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!  Or maybe there's a better way?
by Brenda Butler G2G6 Mach 4 (48.9k points)
Per my answer, I think it is better to just merge the profile with the non-preferred surname into the profile with the preferred surname rather than change LNAB and then merge.
Brenda, For future reference, you do not need to change the LNAB manually before doing the merge. It is changed automatically as part of the process provided that you merge into the LNAB that you want to keep.

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