Hi Julian, The beauty of the IFHF database is that unlike the GV and the Census databases, it will search for and return alternative spellings (of the main name). However, it is not magic so yes, it may not see such wild variations as McConnaghy for McConkey and you do have to try some alternative spellings. Btw, spelling variations are usually due more to the fact that the people giving the info were not literate (rather than the one writing it) and so did not know or care how the name was spelled. Also, there was no such thing as standardized spelling until as late as the 1890s. Don't forget to use the advanced search in IFHF as well so that you can insert more data to narrow down the search - BUT, this time, it is very fussy about spellings so it is best to confine yourself to the Christian names. Boyd Gray http://familytrees.genopro.com/boydgray26/Boyd/default.htm http://www.westulstergenealogy.com/ http://preview.tinyurl.com/yk7gckr SNIP Just tried the IFHF.. stumbled over a slight hitch I hadn't expected. Spelling. McConkey could be McConnaghy or any point in between depending on how literate the writer was and/or how good their hearing. This could be a LONG job, but then isn't everything in genealogy? :) Kind regards, Julian