When John Fitzgerald Kennedy took the oath of office in 1961, he became the first U.S. president whose surname betrayed his Irish heritage at a glance. Today, many genealogists follow that linguistic trail, using this information as a starting point when finding their heritage.
Last names can morph and change over time, leaving you wondering if you’re on the right track. But there are ways to crack this code and uncover your ancestry.
» Uncover your ancestry using your last name via family history search
Step 1: Determine the last name, place, and time
The first three things necessary to start researching your genealogy are a surname, a place, and a time. None of them need to be exact in order to begin. Obviously, the better the information, the less time you waste. But you can do a lot with very little.
The surname can be that of a husband whose wife’s history you’re trying to track down. The place can be a state or county, not an exact city. The date doesn’t have to be specific, just enough to give an idea of what generation the person was in, which can then show a period where you can start looking.
Note: If you’re looking for a woman, remember that she probably took her husband’s surname. In this case, her maiden name should be your starting point.
» Discover how to ensure your family tree is accurate
Step 2: Cross-reference the data
If your last name appears in an archive, it’s natural to feel excited that you are seeing a possible family connection. But, the research data you’re immersing yourself in has to make sense to you as a whole.
Consider whether the date, place, and time you found at the beginning match what you’re looking at. For example, the document may be showing up because of a name match, but is the place one you recognize as being part of your family heritage?
Another fact to keep in mind is the age of the person. Do they fit in your tree in the correct generation? Usually, by the time you check the wife’s and children’s names, you know if you should explore the clue further.
If something doesn’t match, avoid dismissing it out of hand; put it on the back burner until other documentation confirms it.
» Check out spelling issues in family history
Step 3: Check for different spellings
If you come across different spellings of your last name, there are two things to consider. First, is it possibly a result of illiteracy or just plain old misspelling? When it comes to census records, a certain level of education wasn’t a prerequisite for being an enumerator.
For example, if you look at a census record that’s badly misspelled, but all the children’s names and ages match your information, you’re on the right track. These kinds of mistakes are also fairly common on death certificates. Look at the information presented as a whole to decide if it’s a correct record or not.
Secondly, find out if the spelling an Americanization of a foreign language name? Or did your ancestor anglicize his name himself?
Here are some of the language-based nuances to help you in your search:
Spain
In Spain and many Spanish-speaking countries, there’s a unique tradition of kids having two last names. This practice recognizes both parental families within the child’s full name.
in Spain and most other Spanish-speaking countries, the paternal surname comes first, then the maternal. There are other places where the order is reversed (such as Portugal).
While tradition dictates that the mother’s surname comes first, there has been some flexibility in recent times, with some people choosing their preferred order.
» Discover the etymology behind Spanish “ez” last names
France
The French naming practice of “Surname dit Nickname” also presents a unique challenge in genealogical research. I worked with someone whose ancestor was called Nicholas Calliot dit LaChance.
In this format, Calliot is the official surname, while LaChance — possibly derived from Nicholas’s reputation for risk-taking — is a descriptive nickname by which the family was commonly known. Although Calliot would be the proper surname for research in French records, the family name was simplified to LaChance upon immigration to the U.S.
Remain open to various permutations, searching for both original and adapted ones to ensure a comprehensive exploration of family history, especially when tracing immigrant ancestors.
» Learn how to research your immigrant ancestors
Germany
German surnames in the U.S. are an excellent example of how name spellings changed. The language uses a device called an umlaut to show how to pronounce a name. Two horizontal dots over the vowel represent it. Some people changed Müller with an umlaut over the “u” to Mueller because it sounded similar.
You also need to look out for name changes that come about for no apparent reason. One example I’ve come across is a German family that immigrated to North Carolina. I couldn’t identify the original name, but the surname they used when they went to the state was “Small.”
A branch of the family then migrated west to Missouri. That branch used the last name of “Short.” They could’ve just preferred their translation of the original family name, or maybe they were trying to make a break.
» Find out how a MyHeritage user discovered her German heritage
Step 4: Consider how common the last name is
Is your last name Smith? Consider how common it is. It depicted a job, so everyone who worked with metal had it. It’s one of the most common names in the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, and New Zealand.
My struggle has been with the name Brown since people gave it as a descriptor of people with such colored hair or skin. The family I’ve been researching lived in a town of 12,000 people.
Twenty-three miles up the road from it lived a large family of Browns with many records to substantiate their lineage. You can imagine how badly I wanted these two families to be related, but there was no proof.
I assumed that it could’ve stemmed from the German last name Braun. But, after doing DNA tests to narrow the possibilities, I eliminated that possibility. If you’re ever in such a situation, you can go to MyHeritage and order one. The genetic matching technology reveals the percentage of genes you share with your matches, showing you how closely related you are.
Anderson is another common name that I got help with through DNA. I assumed it was Scandinavian, but while my client does have that heritage, it’s on the maternal side, not the paternal where it should appear, meaning the origin of this Anderson is Scottish.
Step 5: Investigate the period
During the Colonial period, names did not travel far. There were three distinct sets of colonies: the New England Colonies were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. The Middle Colonies were New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Lastly, the Southerners were in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
A surname common to North Carolina during this period isn’t likely to correlate with the same one in Massachusetts. Families didn’t move much like they did after the start of the Revolutionary War.
“Ford” is one of these. People with that surname who came to Massachusetts in the 1640s are different from the ones who came to Maryland a decade later. While that may not seem like much of a distance now, consider the period and population migration before confirming a relationship.
» Explore how haplogroups can help you track how your ancestors moved
Types of records you can use when finding your heritage by last name
Census
U.S. Census records are the single most helpful record available. Beginning in 1790, the government conducted them every ten years. From census records, you can find out the name, age, birthplace, occupation, nationality, or race, and whether a residence was owned or rented.
Here are some interesting facts about them that may help in your research
- From 1790 to 1840, they only included the male head of household’s name, but the 1800 census expanded the number of age ranges marked for males and females.
- In 1850, enumerators started recording the names of all household members and added new columns of information with each subsequent census.
- In 1910, they added a place to list the number of children a woman has had and how many are still living.
- In 1930, it asked if the household had a radio, but unfortunately, it burned out in a fire at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
» Explore the Washington State Archives
Marriage records
Next, I look for marriage records. They solidify the last name of the person you’re looking for and provide the wife’s maiden name. They can be surprisingly easy to find. The government office recorded and kept them.
Catholic church records may also include a lot of extra data. You can find the names of both sets of parents, and often, the place where they were baptized and the family members who were initially baptized are examples of what may be included.
» Find out how excommunication records can help you find your ancestors
Death records
Death records are a treasure trove of information for genealogists. While standardized death certificates as we know them are relatively recent (starting around 1900, depending on location), older ones can still be valuable.
These records often contain a surprising amount of information about your ancestors, including:
- Birthdate and birthplace
- Death date and place
- Home address
- Parents names (including mother’s maiden name)
- Spouse’s name
- Funeral home
- Place of burial
- Cause of death
Churches of many denominations also recorded deaths long before the government. Catholic diocese documents can be beneficial, and they often automatically reference the burial site.
I also search sites like BillionGraves for burials. You have to sift through wrong information sometimes, but they can provide a lot of helpful information. If there is a picture of the tombstone, then you can verify birth and death dates. You can even search the cemetery for other family members buried there.
» Discover 13 telltale signs you’re a genealogist
Birth records
Birth records are the last ones I go to because all of the ones above already provide the same information. Rules around finding them have stiffened because of identity theft, and it’s basically impossible to find one unless it’s yours or from a minor child.
For example, I needed my mother’s birth record to join the Daughters of the American Revolution organization. Due to family circumstances, I couldn’t get it directly. She was born in New York, which has particularly stringent rules. I had to wait until she passed away before I could get what they call a genealogy copy.
» Find out how you can trace generations with a family tree timeline
Putting the records to use
Recently, I overheard a friend say that he wondered what his great-grandmother’s maiden name had been. I started with his surname, the county where the family lived, and the knowledge that she would have lived three generations ago.
I used census, marriage, and death records to find his great-grandmother’s maiden name. I also knew his grandfather had worked for the railroad, so that helped keep me on track. When I found census records, I could double-check that they were correct by the occupation listed.
The family was buried in the same graveyard for two generations, so I could see if the names on the records matched those I had come up with. I also found an obituary that named the wife and children.
» Explore our guide to abbreviations and key genealogical terms
What if the records are scarce?
When I am having trouble progressing on a family line, I try to come at it from a totally different angle. One of those is to rethink location. Everyone came from somewhere and ended up someplace.
Do you have an idea where they came from, and have you looked at records from that location to see if there is even a mention of a migration? Familiarize yourself with the main highways of the late 1700s and early 1800s.
For example, people used the Great Wagon Road to travel from Philadelphia to South Carolina. Is your relative on that path, and are there stops along the way where you can find more information?
The knowledge of one such road helped me find my fifth great-grandfather, who paused for two years on his way to his known end location. The National Road goes from Baltimore to Cumberland, Maryland, and then heads west through Pennsylvania and Ohio.
My relative was from Baltimore and had settled in what would become Ohio by 1799. But there was a two-year gap in documentation. It turns out that as he was coming to Ohio, he made a pit stop in Washington County, Pennsylvania, just west of Pittsburgh. Knowing about the road, he would have likely traveled on helped me find him.
» Find out more about patrilineal and matrilineal sides of your family
Uncover your story: the journey to your last name’s heritage
Your last name is a valuable clue, but it’s just the first chapter in finding your heritage. Each ancestor adds a unique twist, combining to create a complete and fascinating picture of your family tree.
Numerous online databases can fuel your surname research journey. MyHeritage offers access to vast collections of historical data that can be invaluable in piecing together your heritage. You can explore documents, census records, and even family trees built by other genealogists.
Tracing your heritage can be a challenging and rewarding journey that can provide a deeper understanding of your cultural identity. Each step of this quest can bring intriguing tales, unexpected revelations, and occasional dead-ends.
