How To Complete A Family Tree Template
This is how you would record information for a family tree.
Putting names into your family tree template:
Record the first name first, then the other given names, with the surname last. Capitalize surnames, and place them last: e.g. Mark Peter SMITH. This helps to clarify which of the names is the person’s family name. For married women, always use the maiden name (surname at birth). If the maiden name is unknown, never use the married name in its place. Show the first name(s) followed by two forward slashes // to indicate that the maiden name is unknown: e.g. Colleen Elizabeth //.
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.
If you find a surname that appears to be spelled incorrectly, do not correct it. Illiteracy was rampant in ages past, and this may have caused the name to be recorded wrong. In any case, you should make sure you write down the different variations.
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.
Date formatting for family trees
To enter dates properly, you would use the European standard. For instance you would record the day first, the month, and then the year(dd Mmm yyyy). Yes, the first letter of the month is a capital, so you would enter your dates as such: 12 Apr 1978.
When dealing with approximate dates, show these with a prefix: abt (short for “about”) or ca. or c. (abbreviation of the Latin word “circa” meaning “around” or “about”): e.g.: abt Feb 1916 or ca. Feb 1916 or c. Feb 1916.
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
List places accurately, proceeding from the smallest to the largest geographic area. E.g. London, England, United Kingdom. In regards to abbreviations, use genealogical standards such as b for born, d for died and m for married etc.
Learn all about how to make a family tree online for free. Stop by Mundia.com where you can find out all about building your own family tree graph and make cool family discoveries.
This is how you would record information for a family tree.
Putting names into your family tree template:
Record the first name first, then the other given names, with the surname last. Capitalize surnames, and place them last: e.g. Mark Peter SMITH. This helps to clarify which of the names is the person’s family name. For married women, always use the maiden name (surname at birth). If the maiden name is unknown, never use the married name in its place. Show the first name(s) followed by two forward slashes // to indicate that the maiden name is unknown: e.g. Colleen Elizabeth //.
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.
If you find a surname that appears to be spelled incorrectly, do not correct it. Illiteracy was rampant in ages past, and this may have caused the name to be recorded wrong. In any case, you should make sure you write down the different variations.
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.
Date formatting for family trees
To enter dates properly, you would use the European standard. For instance you would record the day first, the month, and then the year(dd Mmm yyyy). Yes, the first letter of the month is a capital, so you would enter your dates as such: 12 Apr 1978.
When dealing with approximate dates, show these with a prefix: abt (short for “about”) or ca. or c. (abbreviation of the Latin word “circa” meaning “around” or “about”): e.g.: abt Feb 1916 or ca. Feb 1916 or c. Feb 1916.
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
List places accurately, proceeding from the smallest to the largest geographic area. E.g. London, England, United Kingdom. In regards to abbreviations, use genealogical standards such as b for born, d for died and m for married etc.
Learn all about how to make a family tree online for free. Stop by Mundia.com where you can find out all about building your own family tree graph and make cool family discoveries.