"Also known as" for three incorrect census first names

Question

This woman is listed under three incorrect first names in the Iowa censuses:
1850 as Amenda; 1860 as Orendo; and 1870 as Brenda.  I found no birth
or death records so I assumed the name on the profile as entered is correct.
I left a research note indicating the above versions in the biography.  My
question is if all of these versions should also be listed as other nicknames?
I feel they should not, but am asking for opinions.

Answer 1

What source establishes that her correct name is Orlinda?

There is a record of an Orenda Burr b. in Saratoga NY in 1800. Could that be her?

"New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HH-T1Y : 11 February 2018), Orenda Burr, 07 Sep 1800; citing CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,GREENFIELD,SARATOGA,NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 962,875.

I did a search on familysearch.org for persons named Orlinda born in NY between 1790 and 1800 and got 0 results, so I doubt that was her name. I got 5 for Orenda, 70 for Orinda, and 275 for Lorinda.

Comments

I came across this profile while adding sources to profiles listed in New York unsourced category.  I started with her husband  and added to her and four of their five children.  I could only assume her original profiler had the first name correct.  I could not find any birth or death record to ascertain a
correct spelling either.

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If all we know is that her maiden name was Burr and that she was born in NY about 1800 and her first name was thought to be Orlinda, I'd say it is highly likely that she was Orenda Burr in the baptismal record I listed above.

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I tend to agree with you.  For some reason her husband was listed in the New York State category of unsourced profiles but I see no reason from the census records for him to be assigned to that state.  Very confusing.

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In fact, there are trees on familysearch.org that show Orenda Burr, daughter of Bissel Burr, as the wife of Dyer Williams.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:MZMM-8K6

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Looks like Dyer and Orenda lived in NY State up through the 1840 Census before moving west to Iowa:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3Adyer~%20%2Bsurname%3Awilliams~%20%2Bbirth_place%3A%22New%20York%22~%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1790-1805~%20%2Bmarriage_year%3A1815-1830~

I think a lot of people, like Dyer, moved from upstate VT, first to upstate NY, and then to the midwest in the early 1800s. My Ashley ancestors stayed in upstate VT, but a bunch of relatives did the VT to upper NY State to Ohio migration.

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I believe you drove the nail in the coffin of Orlinda.  I will change her name on the original profile after contacting the current profile manager with all of this current information.  Fresh eyes was all that was needed on ORENDA.
Many thanks.

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I've made her profile "Open" so you can change her name. Thank you!

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The name is now corrected with a research notes section explaining all
that been discussed here and why it was corrected to Orenda.

Answer 2

I always look at the image when I find a name questionable. In this instance, one of the names you mention (Amenda) is not actually the name recorded by the 1850 census taker which is Orenda. In 1860 it's Orendo (misheard or miswritten?). In 1870, again the census taker wrote Orenda, the transcriber decided the "O" was a "B" so transcribed it as Brenda.

Her name was consistently Orenda.

Transcriptions should always be checked by viewing the actual record whenever possible.

Comments

One more confirming source.  I have contacted the current profile manager
and suggested she change the version to Orenda or I am willing to do it if
she chooses.

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Sometimes, people make up names that sound better to them because the name is so unfamiliar that they don't think it can be correct. Not a sound practice in genealogy - bad, bad, bad as our friend Eddie King likes to say.