How to figure out which spelling of the last name you are related to?
I have been researching my family history for a few years now. My last name is Haskin but I've come across different spellings and it confuses me because I don't know which one to go with. Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm still new to genealogy.
Best Answer
-
Different generations probably spelled their surname differently. It is not typical to choose one spelling to standardize on for the past 200 years. Each generation should be spelled the way they appear in the records. What this means is you have to be more careful to connect generations correctly. Parents and children may have different spellings.
0
Answers
-
Different name spellings is a common occurence. I generally go with the records of that generation. But you can also use a standard spelling. Make sure to add any alternate names and spellings.
This is located on the details view of the person page.
1 -
Standardized spelling in general, not just for names, is a very modern concept. I've documented at least 10 different spellings for my Holleran family, from County Mayo, Ireland. And my 2nd GGF, the first to immigrate, was literate. For families that could not read or write, the spelling of the name would vary by the clerk or priest who heard it and wrote it. I've seen documents where the surname was spelled several different ways within a single page.
5 -
My HARROD family members, of Norfolk, England, are also recorded as HARWOOD and HEROD - on one occasion the last two spellings even being used in the same document!
I often wonder in what form the name "originated" (i.e., the earliest recorded spelling in around the 14th century), but perhaps even this was yet another variant. As suggested, be prepared to find your name in a variety of spellings - it is as likely the ones spelled as, say, HOSKIN or HASKINGS are as closely related to uou as those spelled HASKIN, so don't rule out any alternatives.
2 -
"correct" spelling is a thing of the 20th century - before that there often was NOT a single correct spelling.
do NOT put a whole lot of weight on how the record is spelled on any given record
see:
if you are limiting yourself to only certain spellings - you may be doing yourself a dis-service and you may be losing out on some valuable records.
0 -
Thanks everyone for the input. You have made me understand better on the surnames. I have been following different variants of my last name and i got stuck. Thanks again for helping me understand.
1
