Please allow parentheses ( ) in name fields

Lori Mentzel

Genealogy research is a work in progress. Use of parentheses ( ) in name fields allowed me to note a woman's maiden name was unknown, or new children with yet-unknown names and dates (i.e., the 1900 and 1910 censuses of their mother indicated that there were more children to find), or to call an unnamed infant who died without a name (Male) or (Female) or (Infant).

These names in parentheses were often a hint that more research was needed. It doesn't look right to have a married woman with no surname. And when several children were missing for a mother, calling them (Child A), (Child B), etc., helped keep them from being merged together. (An example: woman's 1900 census said she had 4/5 children living and we were still missing 1 living child and 1 deceased child).

I used parentheses all the time, found them very useful for indicating unfinished data, and am very disappointed that ( ) are no longer allowed in the name field.

Paul W

I suppose it should not be considered strange that many of us have a different approach concerning issues like this.

Personally, I am happy to: (1) leave a field blank if I do not know the detail (e.g. first or last name) or (2) not even add detail at all (e.g. for a child of whom nothing is known), until this necessary information is located.

Notes can be added (where possible, below the relevant "empty" box, or in the "Collaborate" section, if not) to indicate there are further children, or names, that have not (yet) been added.

As an example, I had proof of the relationship of two brothers, but did not know their parents' names. I accepted the common sense advice to just add a father (first name blank, last name the same surname the brothers shared), so their relationship could be recorded in Family Tree. For all I know, they both could have been illegitimate - so the surname that of their mother - but one I had to make a decision to reflect the more-likely situation.

I'm afraid I would not find your parentheses suggestion of any particular help to me, but others might totally agree with you.

Brett .

@Lori Mentzel

Lori

FYI

Please be aware that, this matter that you raised here, in this post of yours, has also been subsequently raised, by another User/Patron some Four (x4) Days AFTER your post, both, in this "Topic" (ie. being 'Family Tree'); and, another (ie. being 'FamilySearch Community').

Ideas  >  [ Topic ]  Family Tree ...

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/84288/with-parenthesis-marks-forbidden-how-do-i-write-alternative-spellings-of-my-ancestors-names

Ideas  >  [ Topic ]  FamilySearch Community ...

𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 (𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭)

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/84289/we-need-a-way-to-record-alternative-spellings-of-ancestors-names-parentheses-were-useful-for-that

I just thought, that I would pass this information onto you.

Brett