How to Locate Maiden Names
for your Genealogy Search by Paul Duxbury and
Kevin Cook
When
working on your genealogy, sometimes the most
difficult obstacle to overcome is that of
finding the maiden names of female ancestors.
However, by finding this information you can
be lead to an entirely new branch of your
family tree and a whole new set of
information and history to
explore.
When
working on your genealogy, sometimes the most
difficult obstacle to overcome is that of
finding the maiden names of female ancestors.
However, by finding this information you can be
lead to an entirely new branch of your family
tree and a whole new set of information and
history to explore. To get to that point,
though, you do have to find the maiden names in
the first place. How do you do it? Here are
eight tips on where to look for such
information in your genealogy quest.
First of all, as obvious as it may seem, check
with marriage records. The bride's maiden name
is always listed on her marriage record. If you
can't find a license, look for marriage
certificates, announcements, bonds, or anything
else that may have been used to mark the
occasion at the time. You will be surprised at
what you might find if you are creative.
Secondly, you can check out cemetery records.
It may seem morbid, but especially in the past,
the only proof you may find that a female
ancestor even had a maiden name may be on her
tombstone. Many of them will list a woman under
her maiden name with her married name listed in
terms of "married to" inscriptions.
Third, you can check census records. If you go
back far enough you will see the maiden name of
your ancestor shown by looking at the records
of who lived in the household. You may see that
a young couple lived with the wife's parents,
or that other relatives moved into the home
that may give away the maiden name.
Fourth, check land records. Land records are a
great resource any time you are working in
genealogy, and for seeking a maiden name they
can be as well. Many times in the past, land
was passed from father to daughter. If you look
at your family's deeds you may find the names
of females or of children of owners that can
give away the maiden name to you as you search.
If you see a man or couple sold land to someone
for a dollar or other small amount, it is often
a relative, so use that as well.
Fifth, it may seem unusual, but churches can be
a great resource for maiden names. The birth
and christening records in many cases will have
the names of both parents on them. The mother's
name, in most cases, will be listed under her
maiden name. Churches may also have marriage
information, including maiden names, since
there were times when civil registration was
not in effect in certain areas.
Sixth, try probate records and even the wills
themselves. If you find that you may have found
a set of parents to go with the mystery
relative, check their will or probate. They
often listed the surnames of female children
separately from those of their spouses. This
information can be valuable in tracking down a
maiden name.
Seventh, check the newspaper. That's right; the
newspaper can be a great resource. If you look
in the area where your relative lived or was
married, you may be able to find announcements
or obituaries, which like the tombstones, will
often times include the maiden name of the
deceased.
Finally, check out death records. If the
ancestor you are searching for died recently
enough that there is a death certificate, it
may be one of the only places her maiden name
will be listed. You should also read the
certificate carefully, though, since the
information on old death certificates can be
inaccurate. If you look you will be able to
find out who the informant is. The closer the
relationship between the deceased and the
informant, the more accurate the information
often will be.
There are a number of things you can run into
with genealogy that can be frustrating. One of
the most common obstacles, though, is maiden
names. Often times there just were not kept
track of with any sort of regularity so it
becomes a real challenge to find out which way
that branch of your family tree goes. However,
there are some things you can do to track down
maiden names. The eight tips above should get
you a good start on tracking down who married
whom so that you can extend that family tree to
include new and exciting branches.
About the Authors
Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook own
http://www.amateur-genealogist.com and
http://www.our-family-trees.co.uk two of the
leading Genealogy Websites. In addition Paul
owns a wide range of exciting websites which
can be viewed at
http://www.our-family-trees.co.uk