Margaret Smith married Richard Carter” indicates that she had a previous marriage to a Smith.Place names should be fully identified by writing down the town, county, and state (or the equivalent divisions for foreign countries).

Her full name would properly be shown as Mary (Jordan) Jackson Swift, listing first her given name, followed by her maiden name in parenthesis, followed by the surnames of her subsequent husbands with the latest at the end.Though the proper full name of a woman includes her maiden name, and all married names, when you refer to her in your narrative, use the name she was known by at the time of the event.

Do not use it in place of a given name and do not enclose it in parentheses. You want to establish a woman's birth name in order to identify her parents, for they are your ancestors, too.
In your notes, list Mary Jordan (her maiden name) and show that she was married first to John Jackson and then to Frank Swift.

Among those original settlers of Granville, Licking County, Ohio, were people from Granville in Massachusetts.

Family group sheets and pedigree charts work hand in hand. Enter maiden names for all females, even if previously married.

Be sure to include these discrepancies in your notes.

For example, when talking about the 42nd president of the United States of America, we say BillClinton, If the nickname is a common one (i.e. If a woman is widowed (or divorced) and remarries, the surname in the marriage record may be that of the previous husband. In the preceding example, if you did not know that Jordan was her maiden name, then show her as Mary ( ). 8 Rules for Properly Recording Names in Genealogy 01. This situation might occur, for instance, when John Smith had been adopted by a Taylor and was known by both names. If your ancestor was one of the first settlers, the name of the new town, named in honor of the old, would be an important clue to a possible prior residence.If the records you find mention landmarks or geographic features such as creeks or hills or roads, include them in your notes. By following these simple rules, you can ensure that your genealogical data is clear and complete enough that it will not be misinterpreted by others.Record names in their natural order—first, middle, last (surname). Review them at the end of any research session or interview. You may not have access to that source again; you want to be sure you have it right.Learn how to correctly record names, dates, ages, and places for your genealogical records. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For a woman named Mary (middle name unknown) CARTER at birth who was married first to Jackson SMITH and then married William LANGLEY, record her name as follows: Mary (Carter) SMITH LANGLEY.If you know of a nickname that was commonly used for an ancestor, include it in quotes after the first given name. If he was known by his middle name, or known by initials only, note that, too.

For each marriage included on your Pedigree Chart, you will also complete a Family Group Sheet.

Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy.

They may help to distinguish between two different families in the area with the same surname.
The Social Security Administration put together interesting databases of popular baby names by sex from 1880 to the present: www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames.

Using full names whenever possible makes lineage... 02.