The name game

Names matter in this day and age. The wrong name can change the path of finding important information. I suppose it can keep the wrong doers out too and that's not a bad thing.

For many years I have been trying to find my maternal great grandmother's family. I even had a picture of her taken in 1921 with my mother but I could never discover who her parents were. Apparently everything does happen when it is supposed to. The stumbling block was because what I thought was her first name was actually her middle name. The discovery not only led me to find out who her parents were, but their parents. I also found siblings of my great grandmother that I didn't know existed. It made me very happy to include all those name on my family tree. As a result of correcting the name  I can now go back as far as my 3rd great grandparents on her side of my family.

As another bonus I also now have contact with a 3rd cousin who is still alive.

I had to laugh this morning when after some research trying to find information on my paternal grandfather I discovered when he married my grandmother in 1903 she used the nickname Trixie. That name doesn't seem to fit the grandmother I knew and called Nana! Oh well by any other name their marriage lasted for 34 years until my grandfather's death.

I mentioned in a previous post that when my own parents were married my mother used a last name that was not hers. Perhaps someday I will find out if they were legally married. It probably doesn't matter anymore, but they were my parents.

In conclusion if you want people to find you use your correct name and if you don't well...