Sweden: in a search, which field should I put the patronymic in when there is also a military name

LegacyUser

Karen A Young said: I thought I had read a topic here about this issue, but haven't been able to find it. In the discussion, the relative placement of the names had a bearing on the hints or possible duplicates that might show up. With most of my Swedish ancestors, I have always put the names in like so: Imagine a fictitious person named Johan Sven Andersson. In a search (or a find), typically, I put Johan Sven in the "first names" box, and Andersson in the "last names" box. That seems pretty straightforward. The complication arises if there is also a military name, say: Lind. Should I divide the name with Johan Sven still in the "first names" box and Andersson Lind in the "last names" box or should I put Johan Sven Andersson in the "first names" box and just Lind in the "last names" box? Does it make a difference in the FamilySearch system's ability to generate hints or find possible duplicates?

I recently saw on an instructional video the suggestion to try alternating between putting the patronymic and military name individually in the "last names" box and see what hints or possible duplicates turned up. That sounds fine, except it would involve explanations in the change log of why I am changing the name multiple times, which I'm not anxious to do. Is there a preferred way to do things, or is it up to the user?

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A van Helsdingen said: In the FamilySearch FamilyTree there is the option of an "alternative name". Go to the "Other Information" section underneath the Vitals, then click "Add Information", and adding an alternate name is the first option on the list that appears. I'm not sure though if alternate names are used for hints and duplicates, but this is the proper way to record nicknames, changes of name, different spellings, use of patronymics vs surnames etc.

LegacyUser

Heidi Kuosmanen said: Use Johan Sven Andersson as a person's main name in vital section, because that has been his birth name.

Then in Other Information section - Alternate name, add his other names:
Johan Sven Andresson in "First names" box and Lind (soldier name) in "last names" box.
Johan Sven "First names" box and Lind (soldier name) in "last names" box.

Also you can add Johan Sven "First names" box and Andersson Lind in "last names" box. This last one is not correct way to name people, but in some records people with patronymic and last name/soldier name are recorded this way incorrectly.

Alternate names are used for hints and duplicates thus it is important to add all name variations into this section.

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Adrian Bruce said: I also keep forgetting whether Alternate Names are used in Hints (including Duplicate checking). But they're certainly not used if you launch a search of Historical Records (Indexes) from a profile in FS Family Tree.

And.... Even if I knew the answer to the above - it may all be pointless if the Historical Records have been indexed according to a different rule. I do know that I had problems with a double-barrelled name that sometimes was hyphenated, sometimes wasn't and sometimes wasn't hyphenated but the first bit was in the given names.... This suggests that given names and family names are separate in the Historical Record Indexes.

(And I apologise to whoever gives the correct answer to the use of Alternate Names - I promise to write it down this time!)

LegacyUser

Heidi Kuosmanen said: Adrian, I have noticed many many times, that when I add other spelling variations into Alternate names, I will get more hints or duplicates. In Finland and in Sweden this patronymic systems causes troubles when names are added into FamilySearch. And when you add last name into this.
Also names had many different spelling variations, good example of this is Hendrich, Henrich, Henric, Henrik, Hindrich, Hinrich, Heikki (in Finland), and I am not sure if there are even more versions of this same name.
Clergy used many times several different name versions in different records. So often If some version in missing from Alternate name section, you can get the hint from Historical Records after you add the name version.

LegacyUser

Adrian Bruce said: Thanks Heidi for that confirmation.

I know some name variations are hard-wired into the system for some purposes - but I also get the impression that the variations are not comprehensive across all languages (not sure if they should be, mind...)

LegacyUser

Karen A Young said: Thank you all for your comments. I had not thought about putting several variants in the alternate names section. That helps answer my question.