{"id":98380,"date":"2024-03-25T11:18:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-genealogy.pantheonsite.io\/?p=98380"},"modified":"2025-03-25T13:04:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T17:04:44","slug":"female-ancestors-3-tips-for-searching-her-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/female-ancestors-3-tips-for-searching-her-name.html","title":{"rendered":"Female Ancestors: 3 Tips for Searching Her Name"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 to help celebrate Women\u2019s History Month \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega gives three tips for finding your often-elusive female ancestors in newspapers and other genealogy records. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Researching female ancestors can be difficult at best. One of the obstacles is not knowing her maiden name. Articles with her maiden name can be impossible to find without that surname, but even a married surname can be an obstacle.<\/p>\n

As you consider searching for your female ancestor, consider how you search for her name.<\/p>\n

(1) His Name<\/strong><\/p>\n

Until the latter 20th century, it was customary to refer to married women by their husband\u2019s name (e.g., Mrs. George Walker). Women typically were not listed by their birth first name unless they were single, widowed, or divorced. So even if you find articles with her given name and married surname, take some time to search for her by searching for his name. You can add a \u201cMrs.\u201d to your search or you can just search by his name.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example that I found by searching \u201cMrs. John\u201d in the first name search box and then \u201cMcNeil\u201d in the surname search box.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Argus (Holbrook, Arizona), 11 February 1899, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Later in 1914 another newspaper article mentioned her being sick, but she is referred to as Mrs. McNeil (with no first name).<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 9 May 1914, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Because no first name is given, I would need to do further research to see if this article indeed refers to her or to one of her daughters-in-law.<\/p>\n

This tip was actually an important reminder for me. Because my ancestor is listed in articles by her name (Mary Ann McNeil), that\u2019s what I usually search. Searching by her husband\u2019s name opened up a few more articles to my collection.<\/p>\n

(2) Versions of His Name<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we consider her name, also consider versions of her husband\u2019s name. So, for example: what were his initials? What abbreviation might substitute for his first name? Remember that in earlier times some names would have been abbreviated, including:<\/p>\n