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This is still a draft that is being worked on
The purpose of this document is to serve as a standard/guideline/rule on how the names of Noble families (including Royals) should be added to WikiTree name fields. I also include instructions for priests and other educated men who often took names in Latin.
If you want an explanation on how to fill in all the other data fields, please check Space:Sweden_Project_-_Swedish_Profile_Standards
There is a comprehensive and detailed explanation of WT name fields which can be found here, Name_Fields, but please note that different rules based on geography are also a reality because WT says we should use their convention instead of ours. For example, middle names are something that in fact does not exist in many European countries.
Another example, WikiTree calls the field for given names “Proper First Name” which can give the impression that only one name is allowed, perhaps you have even experienced a warning text. However, multiple names are allowed and the message can be turned off in your settings.
In the text explaining the Middle Name Warning it actually says “Some cultures do not have middle names at all, and therefore certain members do not need to see the Middle Name Warning. If you select this setting, it will be turned off.”
Therefore, multiple names can, and should, be added to “Proper First Name” when working on Swedish profiles and finding more than one given name in the sources.
Contents |
How to add Names of Royal families into WT's Data Fields
How to add Names of Noble families into WT's Data Fields
How to add Latinised Names into WT's Data Fields
This text below is a template taken from Space:Sweden_Project_-_Name_and_Location_Fields and will be reworked to fit this page.
Name fields for Swedish profiles
When creating a profile, ensure that names are correctly spelled in the native language of the person/profile to avoid duplicates (spellings with å, ä, ö for example).
Proper First Name
ALL given names should be added, in the same order mentioned in an official birth certificate or christening/baptismal record. Example: Carl Gustaf or Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta.
Preferred Name
This field can unfortunately not be left empty and you should not assume that the first of two (or more) given names is the preferred name unless it is documented by sources. It would sometimes be just as wrong to separate Carl Gustaf as it would be to separate Mary Lou.
Furthermore, it is not unusual for some time periods that all the given names are listed in the church books, and/or sometimes the names could even be inconsistent, so when in doubt, please add all the names as entered in the Proper First Name Field.
If the person was alive and known by you personally it is fine to add a preferred name.
Other Nicknames
This field can include multiple names separated by commas. The field is for nicknames or other names which the person was known as. Example; Calle (nickname for Carl), Stina (sometimes nickname for Christina), Gamle Jon i Bua.
Middle Name
Sweden did not really have middle names until modern times (with very few exceptions) and this field should not be used at all on most profiles of "common people". The button for "No Middle Name" should therefore be marked.
Exceptions could be if a person emigrated and used a middle name in the new country (or if the use of an actual Swedish middle name can be proved with a source).
Please note that anything entered in this field will be handled as a first name in searches. This is the main reason that patronyms added as a supplement of a family name should go in the Other Last Name Field. This way we can avoid creating unnecessary duplicates and find proper matches when searching.
Last Name At Birth
This field should contain the first documented last name of a person.
In Swedish genealogy research, LNAB is usually found in the church books when a youngster leaves home to start working or get married and, in most cases before 1850, it would be a patronymic last name.
Patronymic exceptions earlier than that time period can usually be found among nobles and descendants of immigrants. Sometimes also among people living in towns (usually upper class like officers and merchants).
Changing from patronymic names to family names took a long time in Sweden, generally starting abt 1875-1880 (earlier in towns than in the countryside).
If the LNAB can not be found you can use Unknown. Or you should perhaps consider adding the person later when more research has been done and the Last Name at Birth has been found. Meanwhile, research notes for the person can be made in the profile of a spouse or a child.
Current Last Name
For non-living people, it should be the last name they were using at the time of their death.
Please note that (most) Swedish women would not take their husband's last name until modern times (1900's). Do not assume that a woman used her husband's last name unless documented in sources.
Other Last Names
This field can include multiple names separated by commas.
This field could be used for last name variations and alternative spellings of the last name in order to avoid duplicates being created.
It can also be used for patronymics in order to distinguish between several family members with the same first and last name. It could also be wise to add a patronymic name as a complement for the first generation of a family using a family name.
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