FamilySearch Catalog Surnames Search: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:47, 17 December 2007

How to Search the Family History Library Catalog by Surname

Use a Surname Search when you want to find catalog entries that have the surname you want as a subject. This search is especially useful for finding family histories.

Steps to Search by Surname[edit | edit source]

Go to www.familysearch.org.
Click the Family History Library Cataloglink under the heading Search Genealogy Records & Library.
Click Surname Search.
Type a surname.
Click Search.
Click the surname that matches the one you want.
Click a title to see more details. The record may be in a book or on a film.
Click View Film Notes to see a film number.

Strategies for Using a Surname Search[edit | edit source]

This search mainly finds family histories.

The more of a surname you type as a search term, the smaller the results list will be. Since many surnames have spelling variations, you may want to broaden your search. To do this, you can:

Type only part of the surname. (This is called truncating your search.) For example, if you type Newcombe as your search term, the computer will find only that spelling of the name. However, if you type Newcom as your search term, the computer will find any surname that begins with those letters, including Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcombe, and so forth.

To find surnames that are mentioned in an entry but not listed as a subject, use a Keyword Search.

How Do I Understand the Results of a Surname Search?[edit | edit source]

A Surname Search results in a list of:

Titles of catalog entries tied to surnames that match your search.
Surnames that match your search.

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-'''''[[Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' Surnames Search''' (Last Names)<br>
+How to Search the Family History Library Catalog by Surname
-== How to search the FamilySearch Catalog by Surnames. ==
+Use a Surname Search when you want to find catalog entries that have the surname you want as a subject. This search is especially useful for finding family histories.
-Use a '''''Surnames Search''''' to find a work <u>about</u> a specific family or person, such as a:<br>
+== Steps to Search by Surname ==
-*family history ''for example'' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F987923 A History of the Fluckiger Family in Wyoming and Utah]<br>
+# Go to [http://www.familysearch.org/ www.familysearch.org].
-*biography''for example'' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F292651 John Sutherland, His Life and Times]<br>
+# Click the '''Family History Library Catalog'''link under the heading Search Genealogy Records &amp; Library.
-*autobiography ''for example'' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F82525 Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant]<br>
+# Click '''Surname Search'''.
-*genealogy ''for example'' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F562632 Shadrach LeQuat, Delaware to Illinois, and His Descendants]<br>
+# Type a surname.
-*diary or journal ''for example'' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F499386 The Journal of Anson Call]<br>
+# Click '''Search'''.
-*pedigree ''for example'' {{FSC|593041|item|disp=De Bottetort Pedigree Chart, ca.519 A.D.-1975}}<br>
+# Click the surname that matches the one you want.
+# Click a title to see more details. The record may be in a book or on a film.
+# Click '''View Film Notes''' to see a film number.
-However, the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog Author Search] is better for finding '''''an author''''' by his or her surname.<br>
+== Strategies for Using a Surname Search ==
+This search mainly finds family histories.
-[[Image:{{FSCSurSea}}]]
+The more of a surname you type as a search term, the smaller the results list will be. Since many surnames have spelling variations, you may want to broaden your search. To do this, you can:
-== Steps to Search by Surnames  ==
+Type only part of the surname. (This is called truncating your search.) For example, if you type '''Newcombe''' as your search term, the computer will find only that spelling of the name. However, if you type '''Newcom''' as your search term, the computer will find any surname that begins with those letters, including Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcombe, and so forth.
-#Go to the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog.]
+To find surnames that are mentioned in an entry but not listed as a subject, use a Keyword Search.
-#Click '''Places''' to close the Places Search.
-#Click <span style="font-weight: bold;">Surnames</span> to open it.
-#Type a surname.
-#Click '''Search'''.
-#Click a title to see more details. The record may be a book, a microfilm, or digitized on the Internet.
-== How Do I Understand the Results of a Surnames Search?  ==
+== How Do I Understand the Results of a Surname Search? ==
-[[Image:{{FSCSurRes}}]]
+A Surname Search results in a list of:
-A '''''Surnames Search''''' results in a list of titles of catalog entries tied to the surname of your search. Click the title to see the cataloging details. A book, compact disc, or pedigree call number of the source will appear on this details screen. This call number is needed to locate the item in the FamilySearch Library. Scroll down the screen to see if the item has been filmed.
+* Titles of catalog entries tied to surnames that match your search.
+* Surnames that match your search.
-If the name you search is relatively common, the results list may be so long (over 100) that you will have to click [Next results] at the bottom of the page one or more times to see the complete results list. For long results lists there is also an option to jump to a record (title) number you specify.
+<br>
-== Strategies for Using a Surnames Search  ==
+[[Category:Family History Library Catalog]]<br>
-'''Look for family histories.''' This search mainly finds family histories.
-'''More than one surname per family history.''' Library catalogers usually add to the '''''Surnames Search''''' about four surnames from families that marry into the main family for a typical family history. For example, <br>
-{{FSC|163371|item|disp=Blackburns Today and Yesterday}} is also listed under the following names: BARRON, BRIDGES, DAVIS, and FRAZIER. For longer family histories even more names would usually be listed. So it is normal to find a book via the '''''Surnames Search''''' which is primarily about another family and only briefly mentions the surname you searched.
-'''If the results list has too few matches.''' The more of a surname you type as a search term, the smaller the results list will be. Since many surnames have [[Guessing a Name Variation|spelling variations]], you may want to broaden your search. To do this, you can type only part of the surname. (This is called truncating your search.) For example, if you type '''Newcombe''' as your search term, the computer will find only that spelling of the name. However, if you type '''Newcom''' as your search term, the computer will find any surname that begins with those letters, including Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcombe, and so forth.
-'''Switch to the ''Keywords Search'' to find a family in a specific place.''' If the results list has too many matches, it may help to switch to the FamilySearch Catalog [[FamilySearch Catalog Keywords Search|'''''Keywords Search ''''']] and add a ''place'' (state or province) to the ''surname''. For example, a '''''Surnames Search''''' for '''Frazier''' results in 177 matches, but a '''''Keywords Search''''' for '''Frazier Colorado''' results in only 21 matches. This strategy finds works that are cataloged under the surname '''Frazier''' and the place '''Colorado''' in the same cataloging entry, usually but not necessarily in connection with each other. States and provinces work best for this strategy. Towns and counties work poorly for this strategy.
-{{FamilySearch Catalog}}
-[[Category:FamilySearch_Catalog]]
- [[Category:Naming Customs]]