Thanks everyone! My main concern was with identifying images and I do agree that adding the date of birth, or even just the birth year, would resolve my confusion and allow for quick identification. I've gone back into my Legacy Picture directory and changed the spelling of names to adhere to the name used on birth records plus I added a birth year. Surprising only two family members with the same name were born on the same year. Fortunately, the images weren't linked to individuals, so my next step is linking and sourcing images to individuals.
As for the various spellings *not* being actual AKAs. Absolutely. Jenny Benson said, "I record names as they appear, but I don't record all the variations as AKAs, preferring to use AKA only for where someone actually used 2 (or more) different names." I agree, and I think following this rule will keep my data simplified in a way that it will be understood by other family members later. Since most of my ancestors have migrated to the US, the majority of their names have been Americanized. One of my uncles, for example, whose birth name is Cateno, was called Gus. Cateno goes on his individual record, Gus goes in his AKA. The 1920 US Census has him listed as August, but since we (the family) don't know him this way, I did a Census Event and did not record August as an AKA. Again, thanks everyone for your input. Lavern Hall Aurora, Ohio, USA On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 8:51 AM, Charani <charan...@gmail.com> wrote: > Ron Ferguson wrote: > > Charani > > > > I cannot agree with your suggestion of adding an 'historic' or 'more > common' > > name to that recorded in either vital events or censuses. To me this > seems > > to ignore a basic principle of recording data i.e. it should be recorded > as > > written in the document. I do not see the point of adding the dob to the > > name either 1) for the above reason and 2) it is unnecessary. > > It's not ignoring the basic rules. It's a means of linking together > family members. > > My BERRY/BURY family were first found in Kent as BERRY but on tracking > them back they became BURY when they lived in Warwickshire. Some of > the children start off with one spelling and end up with the other. > Some keep one spelling. Others keep t'other. If I didn't link them by > adding the other spelling, I could have two completely different > families linked to different family lines. The BURYs of Warkwickshire > might not be the BERRYs of Kent. > > Adding the DoB was for the images as a quick identification method. > Again one which I find useful when I have four brothers named Charles, > John, James and Henry and each of them uses those same four names for > their own sons who in turn use them for their sons. The aide memoire > tells me straight away which son's record I need. > > > In my One-Name I can have a large number of duplicate given names with > the > > Ferguson surname. When checking to see if I already have an entry for a > new > > individual (eg. from a census) I use Search>Detailed Search for > Individual; > > Given Name; Contains; Name (I only use the first name, 2nd perhaps if 1st > > produces no result) AND Individual; Birth Place; Contains; County. > > That's the same with mine: the four above plus William for the boys, > Mary, Elizabeth and Ann for the girls plus 22 variant or alternative > spellings for the surname. > > The database is compiled from CMBs and BMDs only. Other sources, such > as censuses, wills, deeds, are added in the, um, Other Sources column > in the spreadsheet. In Legacy, I have parents and spouses in the > index which means I can quickly find the person I want, right click on > the name and add the new source to the Notes. > > > This gives a Name list in dob order, and is quick to use, because when > > searching only the last field changes. > > Adding a DoB isn't necessary in the name list but for images, I find > it very useful. It saves me having to open several images in order to > find the one I want. > > I'm sure a lot of people will be horrified at the way I use Legacy but > it works for me. Any similarity between some field names and my use > of them is often purely coincidental :)) > > -- > Charani (UK) > OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, > Greinton and Clutton, SOM > http://wsom-opc.org.uk > > > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp<http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Etiquette.asp> > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ > Online technical support: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp<http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Help.asp> > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and > on our blog > (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com<http://news.legacyfamilytree.com/> > ). > To unsubscribe: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp<http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp> > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). 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