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Same Person, Different Spellings.

BrissleBoy
BrissleBoy ✭
September 16, 2021 in General Questions

Hi, my Great Grandfather, and Great Great Grandfather is spelt two ways, Gibbins and Gibbons. Where I am certain it's the same person, how do I combine them and eliminate duplication please?

Mac.

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Answers

  • allanc
    allanc ✭✭
    September 16, 2021

    Sent the guest two articles regarding Editing in FS and the other on Merges.

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  • HawkinsAlanArthur
    HawkinsAlanArthur mod
    September 16, 2021

    Please refer to the following:

    Contradictions and discrepancies

    Contradictory evidence and discrepancies are normal in genealogical research. A novice researcher tends to ignore discrepancies. Experienced researchers tend to embrace them.

    Spellings[edit | edit source]

    Names and words are sometimes spelled different ways in genealogical documents. If you cannot find your ancestor’s name spelled several different ways, you probably have not yet learned how to search correctly.

    Solution: Choose some way of consistently selecting a preferred spelling. Consistently use the spelling on the birth record, or the most predominant spelling, or some other criteria for displaying a spelling on your genealogical records. Mention the alternate spellings you find in source footnotes.

    Names[edit | edit source]

    People and places sometimes have more than one name. People may go by their formal full name, by an alias, by married or maiden name, by a nickname, by middle name, by initials, or by an abbreviated name. Different languages and different cultures affect the way names appear in records.

    Solution: Most of the time, name differences are somewhat obvious—for example, Bill for William. But when a genealogist finds a document for an ancestor with a less obvious name change, it is best to explain why it is the same person.


    Thank you,

    FamilySearch Support

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  • MNuttall
    MNuttall ✭✭✭
    September 18, 2021

    Hello @BrissleBoy

    Further to the advice you've been given, you might find it helpful to review the knowledge article, "How should I enter names in Family Tree?" Spelling variations of a person's name can be entered in Other Information.

    https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-to-enter-names-in-family-tree


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