Barbara My policy is to enter names as they occur. So, you have a "birth certificate" (really? -- not a christening record or something?), that gives the European spelling. When listing his birth, you list it that way. When you get to Ellis Island (immigration) you list him with the "new" name, giving the actual record from Ellis Island as your source. I don't know about PAF, but in The Master Genealogist, you can have as many variations on a name as you can think of. You can make them time sensitive, as in "before xxx date he was known as Samuel Grigginhaufer" and "after xxx1 date he was known as Samuel Griggs." Somehow, it needs to be listed as a name. Notes are not where you'd look for that person. Ordinarily, the names at Ellis Island came directly from ship's records and emigration permits from the "losing" country, and therefore written when the person got on the boat, and as the person's name was "usually" spelled in the country of origin. So, there may be records in the country of origin with the "newer" name, rather than the birth records. Well, I just downloaded PAF and see that you cannot do what I said. Darn. Well, I guess you can put the old and new names in the "also known as" slot. I don't see how you can put much in this program at all, except the very basic BMDB information. Hmm. Sometimes, of course, birth records were written in Latin, or in bureaucratic language, so may differ for that reason. Hope this helps. Pat In Tucson -----Original Message----- From: gen-newbie-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:gen-newbie-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Barbara Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2011 3:18 PM To: Gen-Newbie@rootsweb.com Subject: [GN] Name change When my Grandfather came to America through Ellis Island the spelling changed on his last name. When adding him to my Family info do I spell his last name as it is on the birth certificate or spell it the way it was changed all of the family in America has spelled the name the way it was spelled on the info from Ellis? Would this be something to add to the notes section (I'm using PAF). Thanks Barbara ******************** Gen-Newbie's website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~newbie/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GEN-NEWBIE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I use RootsMagic now, but have used PAF in the past and felt that the Companion which costs money, maybe $10, very small amount, is essential to add some of the nicer items to the tree. You might want to consider that Barbara. Great response, Pat, for all programs. Elaine Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more. --Mark Twain Hello Kith-n-Kin On Sunday, December 18, 2011, you wrote > Barbara > My policy is to enter names as they occur. > So, you have a "birth certificate" (really? -- > not a christening record or > something?), that gives the European spelling. > When listing his birth, you > list it that way. > When you get to Ellis Island (immigration) you > list him with the "new" name, > giving the actual record from Ellis Island as your source. > I don't know about PAF, but in The Master > Genealogist, you can have as many > variations on a name as you can think of. You > can make them time sensitive, > as in "before xxx date he was known as Samuel > Grigginhaufer" and "after xxx1 > date he was known as Samuel Griggs." > Somehow, it needs to be listed as a name. Notes > are not where you'd look for > that person. > Ordinarily, the names at Ellis Island came > directly from ship's records and > emigration permits from the "losing" country, > and therefore written when the > person got on the boat, and as the person's > name was "usually" spelled in > the country of origin. So, there may be records > in the country of origin > with the "newer" name, rather than the birth records. > Well, I just downloaded PAF and see that you > cannot do what I said. Darn. > Well, I guess you can put the old and new names > in the "also known as" slot. > I don't see how you can put much in this > program at all, except the very > basic BMDB information. Hmm. > Sometimes, of course, birth records were written in Latin, or in > bureaucratic language, so may differ for that reason. > Hope this helps. > Pat > In Tucson > -----Original Message----- > From: gen-newbie-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:gen-newbie-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Barbara > Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2011 3:18 PM > To: Gen-Newbie@rootsweb.com > Subject: [GN] Name change > When my Grandfather came to America through > Ellis Island the spelling > changed on his last name. > When adding him to my Family info do I spell > his last name as it is on the > birth certificate or spell it the way it was > changed all of the family in > America has spelled the name the way it was > spelled on the info from Ellis? > Would this be something to add to the notes > section (I'm using PAF). > Thanks > Barbara