I'm always amazed that folks (especially genealogists!) are content to continue spreading the "urban myth", rather than going to the source for the correct answer. Each of you who is interested can do your own homework and find out for yourself what, if anything, the Instructions to Enumerators has had to say throughout the years about spelling of names: http://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/census_instructions/ > /From:/ christietrapp@aol.com <mailto:christietrapp@aol.com> > > Now, if you are looking a census record, one must always remember the rules > the enumerator had to follow. The biggest rule was that they COULD NOT ASK the > person being enumerated how to spell the name. The enumerator had to write it > down either as the way he thought it should be spelled, the way the enumerator > knew it was spelled, or the way in which he thought he heard the name > pronounced. For example, > /From:/ Marleen Van Horne <msvnhrn@jps.net <mailto:msvnhrn@jps.net>> > > The reason the enumerators did not ask how the names were spelled is > that many people could not read, write or spell. > > I was told when I first started my research that was the reason > enumerators did not ask, which may be an urban myth.