Names

American Name Society

Ono-what? Meet a group of folks who are fascinated with surnames.

All-Too-Common Problem

So there are 31,139 John Smiths in the 1900 US census — and your ancestor is one of them. These techniques will help you find the right guy.

Name Calling

Mixed up by multiple monikers? Here's how to untangle the ancestral nicknames, name changes and spelling variations that can trip up your research.

What’s in a Name?

Understanding the secrets of surnames can Unlock answers about your ancestors. Here's how to keep up with the Joneses—and how they got to be named Jones (or O'hara or Kovalenko or Santos) in the first pace.