Filling Out A Family Tree Template
The proper way to input information on a family tree.
Putting names into your family tree template:
In order to enter the names properly, you would need to enter the first name, any other names they were known by, and then their surname. Make sure that you capitalize the surname and the middle names. If there is a married woman in the family then you must never list their married name as this would throw the tree off significantly. If you do not know their maiden name, then you would enter a // to show that the name is unknown for the moment.
If there are nicknames involved, then the nickname should be shown in quotes. For example, Jacob “Jac” SMITH. If someone has been adopted or undergone a legal name changed, then they should have the original name in brackets, and then a.k.a followed by their new name.
Remember to record surnames exactly as you find them. Don’t change them to what you think the correct spelling should be. Names were often misspelled due to illiteracy, transcription errors, or misunderstandings. Be sure to record every variation you find e.g. Smith, Smyth, Smithe may all represent the same individual so should be recorded as Mark Peter SMITH/SMYTH/SMYTHE.
There are many other reasons that you might find a different spelling on the surnames. One of the reasons might be that the person or family immigrated to another country where they needed to fit in. Thought that generation might not be able to fit in, the next would, and with a changed surname, many people would never know the difference. It takes a very wise individual to see that far ahead. If you find these variations, make sure you record the original surname, and then note the changes throughout the years.
How to enter dates into family trees:
Dates will normally be formatted using the European standard. This is different from the American standard because in this one the day would be listed, then the month, and then the year. The first letter of the month will be capitalized, leaving you with the following: 18 May 1911
It’s possible that you won’t know the dates for every single event, so you would need to use prefixes along the lines of abt, circa, or even a – in between the dates.
If you don’t know the exact date but can establish a range of dates between which the event occurred, then use the abbreviation bet. (short for “between”), with a hyphen between the two dates. E.g. bet. 22 Jan 1950 – 26 Feb 1950.
When dates are shown in numerals only, in North America the month is shown first (04/06 would be Apr 6). In Europe and former colonies it is the day that is usually shown first (04/06) would be 4 Jun). If you are not sure in which way the recorded date should be interpreted, you might want to add a comment in the notes to indicate how you think it should be interpreted and why.
Geographical data and abbreviations
When you are recording a location, make sure that you do so with accuracy. You would want to start from the smaller area, then the larger one. In other words, if you are trying to represent the United Kingdom, you would show exactly where the person came from in the United Kingdom. For instance: London, England, United Kingdom. Other information to include would be when they were born and when they died.
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