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The Russell Soundex (a.k.a. American Soundex) and its usefulness to genealogists are explained, some online Soundex converters listed, and rules given for how to manually create a Soundex code. | The Russell Soundex (a.k.a. American Soundex, and Miracode) and its usefulness to genealogists are explained, some online Soundex converters listed, and rules given for how to manually create a Soundex code. | ||
= '''Definition and Value''' = | = '''Definition and Value''' = | ||
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Soundex is a phonetic index that groups together names that sound alike but are spelled differently, ''for example'', '''''Stewart''''' and '''''Stuart'''''. This helps searchers find names that are spelled differently than originally expected, a relatively common genealogical research problem. | Soundex is a phonetic index that groups together names that sound alike but are spelled differently, ''for example'', '''''Stewart''''' and '''''Stuart'''''. This helps searchers find names that are spelled differently than originally expected, a relatively common genealogical research problem. | ||
The indexing system was developed by Robert C. Russell and Margaret K. Odell. It was patented in 1918 by Russell, and again in 1922 by Russell and Odell. It is formally called the Russell Soundex, and a variation used on the censuses is called the American Soundex.<sup>1</sup> | The indexing system was developed by Robert C. Russell and Margaret K. Odell. It was patented in 1918 by Russell, and again in 1922 by Russell and Odell. It is formally called the Russell Soundex, and a variation used on the censuses is called the American Soundex.<sup>1</sup> When a computer was used to generate Soundexed index card for a census it was called a Miracode, and the information listed was slightly different from handwritten Soundex cards. | ||
It was most famously used on parts of the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 United States federal censuses. It is also used by the federal government for selected ship passenger arrival lists, certain Canadian border crossings, and some naturalization records. A few county governments have also used a version of Soundex for courthouse kinds of records. More recently, Ancestry.com and other Internet companies have featured a Soundex search for their huge online genealogical databases. | It was most famously used on parts of the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 United States federal censuses. It is also used by the federal government for selected ship passenger arrival lists, certain Canadian border crossings, and some naturalization records. A few county governments have also used a version of Soundex for courthouse kinds of records. More recently, Ancestry.com and other Internet companies have featured a Soundex search for their huge online genealogical databases. | ||
= '''Online Soundex Converters''' = | = '''Online Soundex Converters''' = | ||
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== '''More Soundex Examples'''<sup>3</sup> == | == '''More Soundex Examples'''<sup>3</sup> == | ||
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| ''Name'' | | ''Name'' | ||
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'''Unrelated names may be grouped together.''' Sometimes names that do not appear to be related show up together on a Soundex index. Ignore clearly unrelated names. For example, if you were looking for '''Wilkins''', you may also find under the same Soundex code, W425, the name '''Walakynowski'''. | '''Unrelated names may be grouped together.''' Sometimes names that do not appear to be related show up together on a Soundex index. Ignore clearly unrelated names. For example, if you were looking for '''Wilkins''', you may also find under the same Soundex code, W425, the name '''Walakynowski'''. | ||
'''Related names may not be grouped together.''' Sometimes names that are obviously related do not come together in the same Soundex index group. For example, '''Clausen''' is under C425 and '''Klausen''' under K425. If you cannot find a name you seek in a Soundex index, there are 20 alternative ideas in the Wiki article [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Guessing_a_Name_Variation Guessing a Name Variation] to help find elusive names in indexes. | '''Related names may not be grouped together.''' Sometimes names that are obviously related do not come together in the same Soundex index group. For example, '''Clausen''' is under C425 and '''Klausen''' under K425. If you cannot find a name you seek in a Soundex index, there are 20 alternative ideas in the Wiki article [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Guessing_a_Name_Variation Guessing a Name Variation] to help find elusive names in indexes. | ||
= '''Census Soundex Cards Show Limited Data''' = | = '''Census Soundex Cards Show Limited Data''' = | ||
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= '''Related Content''' = | = '''Related Content''' = | ||
*Rick Parsons, ''[http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm Soundex - the True Story],'' (http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm : accessed 30 July 2008). | *Rick Parsons, ''[http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm Soundex - the True Story],'' (http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm : accessed 30 July 2008). | ||
*''[http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html The Soundex Indexing System],'' ''The National Archives'' (http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html : accessed 30 July 2008). | *''[http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html The Soundex Indexing System],'' ''The National Archives'' (http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html : accessed 30 July 2008). | ||
*Kimberly Powell, "[http://genealogy.about.com/od/census/a/russell_index.htm R. C. Russell Soundex Index - Full Text Description from the Original Patent]," ''About.com: Genealogy '' (http://genealogy.about.com/od/census/a/russell_index.htm : accessed 29 July 2008). | *Kimberly Powell, "[http://genealogy.about.com/od/census/a/russell_index.htm R. C. Russell Soundex Index - Full Text Description from the Original Patent]," ''About.com: Genealogy '' (http://genealogy.about.com/od/census/a/russell_index.htm : accessed 29 July 2008). | ||
*Gary Mokotoff, "[http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html Soundexing and Genealogy]," ''Avotaynu'' (http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html : accessed 30 July 2008). | *Gary Mokotoff, "[http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html Soundexing and Genealogy]," ''Avotaynu'' (http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html : accessed 30 July 2008). | ||
= '''Endnotes''' = | = '''Endnotes''' = | ||
1. Rick Parsons, ''[http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm Soundex - the True Story],'' (http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm : accessed 30 July 2008). | 1. Rick Parsons, ''[http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm Soundex - the True Story],'' (http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/soundex.htm : accessed 30 July 2008). | ||
2. Based on rules in ''[http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html The Soundex Indexing System],'' ''The National Archives'' (http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html : accessed 30 July 2008). | 2. Based on rules in ''[http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html The Soundex Indexing System],'' ''The National Archives'' (http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/soundex.html : accessed 30 July 2008). | ||
3. Anne Bruner Eales, and Robert M. Kvasnicka, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44420788&referer=brief_results Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, 3rd ed.]'' (Washington, D.C.: NARA, 2000), 22. | 3. Anne Bruner Eales, and Robert M. Kvasnicka, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44420788&referer=brief_results Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, 3rd ed.]'' (Washington, D.C.: NARA, 2000), 22. | ||
4. Parsons. | 4. Parsons. | ||