Genealogy Corner… Finding Maiden Names

Issue 21.17

One of the challenges of researching women is that too often they are cloaked with their husband’s names, like Mrs. Carl Smith or Mrs. C. Smith. Even after the husband dies, you may see her listed as Widow Smith. There are some sources that could reveal that elusive maiden name.
Vital records or birth records are an obvious choice and typically will include the mother’s maiden name. Marriage records will typically list the bride’s maiden name, and often the names of her parents and sometimes her mother’s maiden name. Death records will typically list parents’ names as well, often revealing a maiden name.
The records of siblings can help. Record formats changed over the years, and from place to place, so information not provided on one child’s record may appear on another’s. If you are not finding a maiden name for the mother of your ancestor on his or her records, try researching the siblings.
Church records and baptism records will often include the mother’s maiden name and can provide the names of godparents and sponsors who may be relatives on the mother’s side of the family. You may also see maiden names appearing as the middle name of one or more of her children. In some cases, some women have adopted their own maiden names as a middle name after marriage. While this convention is most commonly seen in more recent years, some women did adopt this practice earlier.
Probates often spell out the relationships of heirs, these records can sometimes be a good resource for finding maiden names. Look especially for the probates of relatives who died without heirs, as their siblings and the siblings’ children would then be next in line for inheritance. Obituaries can be a great resource for finding maiden names. Even if a women’s maiden name is not explicitly stated, the names of surviving relatives may reveal it.
Keep track of the names of sponsors and witnesses you find on legal documents and in church and civil records. If you see a recurring name that you suspect could be your ancestress’s maiden name, try searching for her in censuses in which she would have been a child using that surname. Coupled with information you have found in later censuses after she was married, such as birth year and place, and the birth places of the parents, you may be able to locate her. Of course, you will want to find supporting evidence of the relationship, but once you have a name, it is easier to prove or disprove a connection.
For more information visit the Ancestry Support Center http://help.ancestry.com/ or contact Shanna Jones as shannasjones@msn.com