Finding those names

This page is being edited by Caroline with input from Velma

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Where to look

The County Records Office is the place where you will find your primary evidence - a myriad of documents which will be useful in your research. This Records Office Guide will explain what is likely to be found there and how it is going to be useful.

Alongside the personal details of your families, one of the most useful sets of documents for you will be the Census Returns. The Census Search Guide will give you more information on using these valuable sources of evidence for your research.

Tips for researching your Family History

Have some sympathy with the transcribers

Victorian Registrars and the GRO

Clues for finding those elusive names

Common Forename Abbreviations

Naming Patterns

Latin Names and Genealogical Terms

Forenames

• Nicknames and naming traditions

• Traditional Irish Names

• 13th Century Welsh Names

• 16th Century Welsh Names

• The Hidden Message in Your Name

• Sephardic Naming Patterns

• How popular was that name?

Surnames

• Last Name Meanings ~ covers a multitude of nationalities

• The Internet Surname Database

• The Etymology and History of Surnames

• Surname profiler

• Celtic Origins Irish Surnames ~ Anglicesed and Gaelic versions

• Basic info on the structure of Polish names

• Surnames ~ origins and meanings

How do you know they "belong" in your tree?

To be 99% sure that you are researching the correct people, you are going to have to get Birth, Marriage and/or Death Certificates. These pages will help you find out All About Certificates and how to go about obtaining them.

And when you have found them, what do you do with them?

Creating Your Family Tree

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