Billie, I sometimes type in the nickname in the main line of the name. For example Elizabeth Betsy Redfield Carter. I then go in under the AKA and just put in what name they go by. Sometimes I like to print out an outline type report (without the notes or all the other information) and I want to see that name so I can look for both (all) given names or initials. In the above example, if I were looking for Elizabeth, her birth and marriage record had Elizabeth. But, I think that most of the birth of her children and census had it as Betsy. If the vital records, deeds, cemetery records., etc., are in various names, then I put them in the main name. In the source section (of her name), I then list which name that record was found. I have that in the STREIG family. My son, husband, his father and grandfather all were named Frederick. The first three go by variations on their middle name, i.e., my father-in-law was Frederick James STREIG. He always went by Jim or Big Jim. All his vital records are Frederick James, so I don't put the Jim in the name. You did not mention which version of FTM you have. I have FTM 2005. I like things on one page so I can see it when I am doing my searches. Janece Carter Streig streig3@aol.com _http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jcstreig/_ (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jcstreig/) "Genealogy is life in the past lane." Family Names: Amidon, Bogue, Buffington, Carter, Chapman, Darrow, DeHart, Dodge, Eaton, Elwood, Fairbanks, Fell, Firby, Grout, Hudson, Kelsey, McCracken, Mott, Painter, Reynard, Rodabaugh, Shottenkirk, Slaughter, Smith, Spencer, Stockdill, Swan, Trafton, Wollenberg, Wollenlurge, Woodbury, Wright, Wullbrandt