Real World Hint
This is what I learned in adding a great-grandmother, Dollie, to my family tree. When I searched for her using just “Dollie Northrop,” I didn’t find many hints or records. But when I used her legal name, Belva Northrop, I found many more!
This shows how important it is to learn both your ancestor’s legal name and any nicknames they used.
I also found that including exact birth and death dates helped me get better results. In my family tree, I list her as:
Belva Northrop, 1893–1958
But her full details are:
- Born: 19 March 1893 in West Union, Fayette County, Iowa
- Died: 16 September 1958 in Anaheim, Orange County, California
The more precise your information, the easier it will be to find accurate records and hints.
Additional Tips
- Try searching with different name combinations—like Belva, Dollie, or even initials.
- Check old family documents, birth certificates, or obituaries to find your ancestor’s full legal name.
- Many websites use exact matches, so small changes in spelling or name order can make a big difference.