S S , W , or Anderson—think your family history search is doomed because of your common last name? If you’re lucky, there may be hope, because nothing narrows down a search like a unique rst name.
Take, for example, the surname Smith. A search through the historical records at Ancestry.com yields 9,895,391 results. at’s more than a little daunting. But once there was a man named Verb Smith. Be the lucky dog who is looking for him and your Ancestry.com search results are pared down to seven.
Now, for the surname Walker—the search goes from 1,925,609 to nine if you’re looking for the Walker with the memorable rst name of Pig. Anyone need an Anderson? is one drops from 2,628,226 to one if you search for the rst name Gossip.
Remember, there’s more value than just water-cooler conversation in the nutty names sitting in your family tree. Take Hades Fryher, Holiday Bible, Sink Slappey, or Money Scales: if you’re lucky enough to have any of these guys (or gals—it’s sometimes hard to tell) in your pedigree, be grateful. Your search may be easier than ever.
Don’t know if you have any weird names in your family tree? Not sure where to look? Check out Ancestry Publishing’s latest: Bad Baby Names: e Worst True Names Parents Saddled eir Kids With—And Now You Can Too! by Michael Sherrod and Matthew Rayback. It’s full of crazy names pulled from actual U.S. federal census records—Hades Fryher, Holiday Bible, Sink Slappey, and Money Scales included—as well as 2,000 others. You’ll nd it in your local bookstore or online at <www. ancestrystore.com> this spring.
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