What seems to be surname of child is actually the first name of father
I am trying to index the following record but unsure what to use for the surname of the child. On the left hand column they list the Given Name of the child and the given name of the father not the father's surname. For the child's surname, should I leave it blank? Write the father's given name or the father's surname (listed somewhere else on the record)?
Zambia, Archdiocese of Lusaka—Church Records, 1951–2019 [Part E2] [MQR2-CFT]
Answers
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This is a common and tricky situation in indexing, especially with records from regions where naming conventions may differ from the standard "Given Name, Surname" format.
Based on FamilySearch indexing guidelines, here is the standard approach for this scenario:
1. Check the Father's Surname
If the father’s surname is listed anywhere else on the same record or image (such as in a signature, a list of parents, or a column for the father's full name), you should use that surname for the child.
2. Use the Father's Given Name as a Surname?
Generally, you should not move a father's given name into the child's surname field unless it is explicitly written as the child's surname. In many Zambian records from this period, people may have used a patronymic system (where the father's first name becomes the child's second name), but as an indexer, you must "index what you see."
3. If No Surname is Found
If there is no surname listed for the father or the child anywhere on the image:
- Leave the Surname field blank (or press Ctrl+B to mark it as blank/null).
- Do not guess or assume a surname based on the father's first name.
- The system is designed to allow records with blank surnames to be searchable by given name and parentage.
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