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Methodology and Skills

Why can’t I find it? Locating surnames in online databases

Carol Baxter
Apr 12, 2024
1.0K views
CC
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Free through April 30, 2024
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Syllabus
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Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
4m 39s
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Surname Grouping Algorithms
1m 16s
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Soundex
4m 51s
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Why These Groupings
8m 03s
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Soundex Again
2m 32s
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Surname Grouping in Action
4m 03s
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Surname Beginnings
7m 41s
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Surname Middles
7m 12s
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Surname Endings
5m 00s
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Summary
1m 21s

About this webinar

Have you ever failed to find a surname in an online database search? Or have you been frustrated at having to undertake multiple searches to find surname variants, and have wondered why such obvious variants are not “grouped” together? Or perhaps you’ve wondered if you’ve missed entries because you don’t understand how these search engines do in fact “group” surnames. Surnames are like the other half of the DNA double helix. It’s all very well if we discover a DNA connection, but if we can’t link the two families together because we can’t find the relevant entries for our ancestors, much of our time and money is wasted. This webinar explains how online databases approach surname spellings, allowing us to maximise our use of their powerful search engines.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Carol Baxter
Carol Baxter is an experienced and informed historian and genealogist, an internationally-acclaimed, award-winning author, and a dynamic, inspirational presenter. Carol has been a genealogist for four decades having first become interested
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  1. GH
    GWEN HUMPHRIES
    2 weeks ago

    Great webinar. Very interesting

    Reply
  2. DG
    Diane Gillespie
    2 weeks ago

    Another excellent webinar. Worth listening to

    Reply
  3. LR
    Linley Robinson
    2 weeks ago

    Awesome and fascinating detailed talk.

    Reply
  4. SM
    Susan McCoy
    2 weeks ago

    Carol’s enthusiasm in presenting the complex challenges of applying soundex tools to locating surnames is a delight to all wordsmiths. She provided carefully prepared charts to demonstrate common variations of consonant and vowel combinations. Close attention to the study of surnames will help us to find our ancestors with more ease and yield satisfaction of success from applying soundex techniques.

    Reply
  5. CB
    Cheryl Bohn
    2 weeks ago

    Really fascinating…Carol did an excellent job all around, but consistently reminded us how the particular coding and transcription issues impact our results. I shudder to think what I have missed over these years of research! But, no more!

    Reply
  6. MC
    Marie-Chantal Chadwick
    2 weeks ago

    Such great information clearly presented and explained. Very thought provoking!

    Reply
  7. BA
    Beverly Anderson
    2 weeks ago

    Excellent. Example of d/t: The Tongan language does not contain the letter d. They substitute the letter t for the English letter d. Thus, the English name David becomes Tevita in the Tongan language.

    Reply
  8. ML
    Marguerite Labbe
    2 weeks ago

    I think it is helpful regardless of ones particular language. Being French and Irish I have come across many unusual spellings for my family name. Thank you for the visual.

    Reply
Show all comments

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