Names

Last Name:

In most cases the last name appearing in the Census returns is the person's surname, but sometimes the first and last names were reversed. It is worth remembering that spellings of surnames can vary and the surname given in the Census return may not exactly match the one you know. If you do not enter a Last Name then you must enter a First Name, Age and Where Born.

First Name:

In most cases the first name appearing in the Census returns is the person's forename, but sometimes first and last names were reversed. Spellings of forenames can vary and some people gave an informal name or "nickname" as their first name. (see "Synonyms" below). Additionally, certain forename abbreviations were in common use. When an individual had a title, this was sometimes recorded in the first name box. To search by First Name, without a Last Name, you must also enter Age and Where Born.

For more help with name variations and abbreviations, First and Last names reversed and double-barrelled names, click here irregular names.

Other Names:

In most cases this contains a person's additional forenames. If you want to specify a middle name, to refine your search, you may wish to try the Advanced Person Search.

Synonyms:

Tick the Synonyms option to search for the Forename you have given AND any variations of this name eg: Elizabeth and Beth. This is useful where the forename recorded differs from the person's formal name but it may return a large number of matches. (see below)

Large number of matches ?

If your search returns too many matches for the name you have given, you can reduce the number by specifying additional information. See Advanced Person Search.