merge duplicates with deleted names as new alternate names

LegacyUser

Blaine Richard Worthen said: One feature I would love to have in the new duplicate merge system (this was not present in the old system either) would be to copy the name of the deleted individual over as an alternate name. It is very common for the two individuals to have slightly different names (and it may be important to keep both), but the only option is to override one name with the other. (I have been handling this by going back to the person after the merge and manually reentering the deleted name, but I suspect most users don't do anything like this.)

LegacyUser

Heidi Kuosmanen said: I have waited that we would have this feature, it would very handy.

LegacyUser

Don M Thomas said: I have done the same as you, Blaine Richard Worthen.

Good idea.

LegacyUser

Tom Huber said: This is an excellent idea, but...

The system would need to make sure that the name is not already an alternative (or vital) name in the surviving record.

Right now, I tend to clear out duplicate alternate names that were automatically created when two records were merged. So the idea is not a new one and one that actually existed in the past. Whether that was in FamilySearch or the previous system is something that I do not know.

What I do know is that the last time I merged two persons together, the duplicated alternative name was not created.