Genealogist Q&A
Whether you're a seasoned genealogy enthusiast or just starting, our Q&A section addresses the most frequently asked questions in family history research.
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Genealogy Product Director Tom Kemp has spent over fifty years as a genealogist, writer, librarian, and archivist. His experience has helped countless others craft a search for family records, historical documentation, and ancestral combinations.
This Q&A session covers the most frequently asked questions about genealogy: tips for locating lost records and verifying historical details. Don't forget to download our free guide, Getting Started Climbing Your Family Tree, for more tips and resources. Click on the genealogy questions below to see answers or download our free Search Tips Guide for further assistance.
In Sweden his name was Lars Fredrik Pettersson - but he changed the spelling of his name in the US. What do I do now?
A: It is common for immigrants coming from other heritages to standardize the spelling of their names.
In this case: Lars Fredrik Pettersson .... you will want to search indexes for all of the spelling options for his name.
Fredrik: Could be spelled Frederick or even the short form: FredPettersson: Could be spelled several ways: Petterson; Peterson; Pederson; Petersen; etc.
His complete name might have been written as:L.F. PetersonLars F. PetersonLars PetersonFrederick PetersonFred PetersonFred L. Peterson
Genealogists learn through trial and error the various ways that individuals and record keepers might have spelled their names.
Keep this in mind when you search newspapers.