12 Genealogy Truths Every Family Historian Learns the Hard Way
“It takes three sources
to make a fact.”
— Old Genealogy Adage
And even then… you might still be wrong.
Over the years, family historians learn that records are not as straightforward as they seem. Names change, ages shift, and even official documents can tell very different stories.
Here are a few of the truths that quietly guide every good genealogist.
1. Names Are Flexible (Very Flexible)
Any name spelled with a C can often be found with a K… or even Ch.
You may find Phillip spelled in other documents as Filipp.
Amy might be more complicated as Aimee.
Change out some consonants and add some vowels, but the name still sounds the same.
2. Mc and Mac Are Not Loyal to One Another
They switch sides freely depending on who’s writing.
3. Flip the Page!
If you have a document or photograph—turn it over.
Check the back for:
Names
Notes
Dates
Messages
Anything written at all
You would be surprised what gets tucked out of sight.
I’ve found:
Phone numbers
Shopping lists
Scribbled reminders
And once, on the back of a military burial document, a note that revealed the soldier had:
Enlisted in the Army
Been discharged
Then entered the Navy
Information that never appeared on the front.
You never really know what you have… until you check the other side.
In genealogy, sometimes the most important details are hiding just out of view.
4. The Mysterious Traveling “E”
Try adding an E to the end of a name…or taking it away entirely.
5. Nicknames Will Test Your Sanity
Christine → Tina
Catherine → Kate, Katie, Cathy
Margaret → Maggie, Margie, Peggy… even Joan (no one knows why)
Charlotte → Lottie… sometimes even Charlie
Charles → Charlie or Chuck
And then there’s: Sissy and Junior
At some point, you realize… anything goes.
And Then There Are Family Nicknames…
Some defy explanation entirely.
In my extended family:
Weewee, Hoodjie, Smokie, and Pookie
(No further questions.)
6. Middle Names Are… Optional (Apparently)
Many people go by their middle name.
Some drop it. Some replace it.
For sanity’s sake, stick with what appears on the birth or baptism record when possible.
7. Death Records Are Not Always Truthful
The information is often given by someone grieving, shocked, or guessing.
Dates, parents, even birthplaces can be wrong.
This applies to:
Death certificates
Obituaries
Cemetery records
Handle with care.
8. Transcriptions Are Helpful… and Risky
The FamilySearch or Ancestry transcriptions (and others) are incredible tools.
But:
Years can be off
Names misread
Details simplified
Always check the original image when possible.
9. Ages… Are Negotiable
Some people didn’t tell the truth about their age.In some families… it’s practically tradition.
10. Multiple Marriages Don’t Always Mean Divorce
A second (or third) spouse may simply mean:
Widowhood
Tragedy
Starting over
Context matters.
11. Even the Records Can Be Off by a Year
Sometimes it’s the record…
Sometimes it’s the person…
And sometimes everyone just agreed on a different version of the truth.
12. Love Them Anyway
Even when our ancestors made choices we wouldn’t approve of today…
We still:
Research them
Remember them
Honor them
Because they are part of us.