Isolating a Common Surname

Wiley & Martha (Maloney) Johnson

Some families get all the luck - THEY have ancestors with unique surnames that sound and spell like they are supposed to, which means finding them is a census search can be a little bit easier.   With a common surname like Johnson, Smith, or others, doing searches for quality data nuggets is always a challenge.   But there are a few simple tricks to help isolate, identify, and confirm your genealogical ancestors, cousins, inlaws and outlaws.  

The Phrenetic Phonetic Phoenician Nose

Most people may already know the meaning of their names, but did you know that many were (mis)spelled differently several generations ago?   

Take for example the name SANDERS.

Sanders is a patronymic surname derived from the given name "Sander," a medieval form of "Alexander." Alexander comes from the Greek name "Alexandros," meaning "defender of men" from Greek alexein "to defend, help" and aner "man."  source: about.com

Alexander the Great was widely respected and known throughout ancient times.  His name was used for cities across the lands he conquered from India to Egypt and Greece, with many still in existence today - over 2000 years later.  

SANDERS ranks as the 87th most popular name in the USA; the most popular surname is SMITH, followed by JOHNSON, according to the census of 2000.