Name Changes and the Law

Judy G. Russell, JD, CG®, CGL®, FUGA
May 17, 2023
1.3K views
CC

About this webinar

Names weren't changed at Ellis Island, but in courts, legislatures and elsewhere both formally and officially -- and on the fly. As genealogists, we need to know why names were changed, and how those changes might be recorded, if we want to have a chance at finding out what's in a name.

About the speaker

A genealogist with a law degree, Judy G. Russell is a lecturer, educator and writer who enjoys helping others understand a wide variety of genealogical issues, including the interplay between genealog...
Learn more...

Comments (133)

Sort byNewest
  1. JO
    Julia Ott
    2 years ago

    Interesting details, well researched, great stories!

  2. SH
    Sandra Hewlett
    2 years ago

    There is still so much to learn about genealogical resources! Even after 40 years of genealogical research, Judy's lecture open-end my eyes to several resources I did not know about! Thank you!

    1
  3. SB
    Sheila Breeden
    2 years ago

    Full of excellent points!

  4. CL
    Clara Lawver
    2 years ago

    Judy explained name changes in court records in a way that was very helpful to me. Thank you.

  5. GG
    Gary Gates
    2 years ago

    Fantastic information and wonderful suggestions on finding name change documentation. I especially liked the suggestion of tracking the timeline of major events and what name was used at that time.

  6. CW
    Camille Woodruff
    2 years ago

    I thought this might be one of those boring and tedious topics that I, as the family history nerd, should know something about. Oh how wrong I was! Judy Russell was interesting, vibrant, and entertaining in her presentation. I am so very glad I tuned in.

  7. PD
    Pamela Dorn
    2 years ago

    Wonderful examples. Really interesting stories behind the name changes.

  8. KK
    Karen Kamp
    2 years ago

    Judy's knowledge of the topic was amazing and it is obvious she also very enthusiastic about the ways and reasons people use to change their names. I was totally engrossed for the entire session. Thank you, Judy, for a fascinating session!