I like the new Discovery Page for my ancestor, but the Name Origin suggestion is way off base.
For folks in Norway before 1900, the last name is normally either the patronymic (son of Helge is Helgesen) or the farm name. In my relatives' case, Medalen is the name of the farm near Haglebu, in Eggedal, Sigdal, Norway, and has nothing to do with Medlin from Wales. You'll also see Bergets and Haugens and Dokkens and Heftes and Lunds and Myros and Nygards and and Steinsruds and Strands and that is just a few of the farms in one corner of Buskerud. Throughout Norway there are hundreds or thousands.
Thanks, Bonnie Cresap
Halvor Ellingsen Medalen1737 – 7 July 1811 • KG7G-MY9 (Halvor, son of Elling, from the Medalen farm)
Answers
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Thanks for the feedback @Bonnie Cresap and we appreciate you sharing your experience with us. I have added a link to an article which will help you submit a feedback to FamilySearch to be able to check on the Name Origin and see the best to be done.
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Isn't that what I just did?
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Isn't that what I just did?
Yes!
The help center case report pages are plastered with warnings that case reporting is going away soon, and instructions to post here instead. You have completed your task.
I also complained about mis-informed name origins. I was told they all come from a certain book and cannot be edited. As an avid surname researcher, I am rather irked about it. It is like cheesy chart junk plastered on a surname I have slaved over!
(You might like to join the Guild of One Name Studies or one of the other surname research societies.)
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I agree that the Name Origin is limited in scope, and does not cover everyone.
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Well, if I was a programmer again, with a database, I'd make sure to check whether the subject person was born, lived or died in the USA. If so, then the database has plenty of chances to be right, whatever it says. If the person hasn't lived here at all, then it would be safer to crosscheck the proposed answer with the person's homeland, and if that doesn't match then offer a generic message, or a link to how names are/were formed in that location. Family Search has lots of info on that very topic!
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Good idea, @Bonnie Cresap; that would greatly reduce the chance of giving offense. Sadly, on many surnames in the United States the book is merely guesswork.
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