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[[Portal:United States Census|Portal:United States Census ]] | |||
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. | 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. | ||
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The most well-known genealogical use of Soundex is 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. | The most well-known genealogical use of Soundex is 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. | ||
Many non-genealogical search engine algorithms borrow heavily from concepts first introduced by Soundex.<sup>2</sup> | Many non-genealogical search engine algorithms borrow heavily from concepts first introduced by Soundex.<sup>2</sup> | ||
= '''Online Soundex Converters''' = | = '''Online Soundex Converters''' = | ||
The easiest way to obtain the Soundex code for a name is to use one of several online Soundex converter programs. Simply type a name, and at the click of a button, the converter will divulge the corresponding Soundex code. There may be subtle differences between programs:<br> | The easiest way to obtain the Soundex code for a name is to use one of several online Soundex converter programs. Simply type a name, and at the click of a button, the converter will divulge the corresponding Soundex code. There may be subtle differences between programs:<br> | ||
*[http://bradandkathy.com/genealogy/yasc.html Yet Another Soundex Converter] | *[http://bradandkathy.com/genealogy/yasc.html Yet Another Soundex Converter] | ||
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*Zeroes are added at the end if necessary to produce a four-character code. Excess letters are disregarded if they would produce a code longer than four-characters. For example '''Lee''' = L000, and '''Christopherson''' = C623. | *Zeroes are added at the end if necessary to produce a four-character code. Excess letters are disregarded if they would produce a code longer than four-characters. For example '''Lee''' = L000, and '''Christopherson''' = C623. | ||
{| | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="225" align="center" | ||
|+ <u>'''Soundex Key Letter Codes'''</u> | |+ <u>'''Soundex Key Letter Codes'''</u> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="center" | '''''Number'''''<br> | | valign="middle" align="center" | '''''Number'''''<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| '''''Represents the Letters<br>''''' | | '''''Represents the Letters<br>''''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="right" | 1<br> | | valign="middle" align="right" | 1<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| b, f, p, v <br> | | b, f, p, v <br> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="right" | 2<br> | | valign="middle" align="right" | 2<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| c, g, j, k, q, s, x, z<br> | | c, g, j, k, q, s, x, z<br> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="right" | 3<br> | | valign="middle" align="right" | 3<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| d, t<br> | | d, t<br> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="right" | 4<br> | | valign="middle" align="right" | 4<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| l<br> | | l<br> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="right" | 5<br> | | valign="middle" align="right" | 5<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| m, n<br> | | m, n<br> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| valign="middle" align="right" | 6<br> | | valign="middle" align="right" | 6<br> | ||
| | | | ||
| r<br> | | r<br> | ||
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== '''More Soundex Examples'''<sup>4</sup> == | == '''More Soundex Examples'''<sup>4</sup> == | ||
{| | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="572" align="center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''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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*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). | ||
*[[United States Census Indexes|United States Census Indexes]] FamilySearchWiki article. | *[[United States Census Indexes|United States Census Indexes]] FamilySearchWiki article. | ||