Got a question on database entries.  I use Paf if that makes any difference.  How do you enter a surname when the family changes their surname?  I have a family that used the surname of Grillier for years on census, births, etc. Then they changed the spelling to Grier in 1887 and used that name on all further documents.  Have never found a legal court document for changing the spelling.  Do you maintain the name Grillier in you data base or do you change to the more current spelling.  I am at a loss.   Helen McCarthy

I'm not familiar with PAF anymore.  I used it too long ago to remember. However, rule of genealogical thumb is to include all the variations of a person's name, spellings, nicknames, surnames. The program I'm currently using has a special feature for alternate names. (Legacy).  My old Family Tree Maker program allowed for addtitional names too but didn't really specify they were "alternate names". If ancestors carried the GRILLIER name until their deaths, I'd leave them like that.  For the ones who changed their surname, you might want to use the version with the most amount of records (obits, death certificates, children's birth records, Social Security, military, etc.) as the main name.  Keep older ancestors as GRILLIER, and the younger generations as GRIER.  Depending on when the name changed to Grier, there may or many not be a legal name change record, because in the olden days (not so long ago, really), it wasn't such a big deal to change the spelling of one's name as it is today. No matter which way you choose, but sure to notate they changed their spelling at some point, even if it wasn't by court order. Alexa Genealogy research since 1974 Ancestral hauntings - I ain't afraid-a no ghosts... --- On Tue, 6/12/12, rohling1@comcast.net <rohling1@comcast.net> wrote: From: rohling1@comcast.net <rohling1@comcast.net> Subject: [LAORLEAN] Surname name changes To: "laorlean" <laorlean@rootsweb.com> Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 1:50 PM Got a question on database entries.  I use Paf if that makes any difference.  How do you enter a surname when the family changes their surname?  I have a family that used the surname of Grillier for years on census, births, etc. Then they changed the spelling to Grier in 1887 and used that name on all further documents.  Have never found a legal court document for changing the spelling.  Do you maintain the name Grillier in you data base or do you change to the more current spelling.  I am at a loss.   Helen McCarthy ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LAORLEAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I have a family that began as Joiner and somewhere along the line began calling themselves Joyner. I changed the name as I found it changed because for instance, in one family of 9 children, 7 of them stayed Joiner the other 2 changed to Joyner. Hope that helps... Jan S - Orlando, FL -------Original Message------- From: rohling1@comcast.net Date: 6/12/2012 2:51:20 PM To: laorlean Subject: [LAORLEAN] Surname name changes Got a question on database entries. I use Paf if that makes any difference. How do you enter a surname when the family changes their surname? I have a family that used the surname of Grillier for years on census, births, etc. Then they changed the spelling to Grier in 1887 and used that name on all further documents. Have never found a legal court document for changing the spelling. Do you maintain the name Grillier in you data base or do you change to the more current spelling. I am at a loss. Helen McCarthy ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LAORLEAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message