Whenever I come across a new website where I can do some searching, I use a couple of surnames to test out the site. I try my unusual surnames first, like Coor, Hork, Gleeson, or Hutson. Of course, it depends on the database’s subject. I certainly would not search in a northern state for a family with southern roots.
Sometimes, I get nothing from a database. It’s frustrating, but before I give up, I test out the database with more common names such as Smith, Johnson, or Jones. If I cannot get any returns with those names, it means I need to dig deeper to see what the database does cover.
My husband’s friend has me conduct research, and one of his family names is Hulaniski. Now, that name is pretty rare, and I can almost use it globally in a database search without using place filters. It is one of the first names I used when FamilySearch released its full-text search capability.
What names do you test a database with?
#52Ancestors-Week 26: Favorite Name
This is my eighth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson
Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/)
at Generations Cafe.
I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I
have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.
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