TOP PLACES TO FIND MAIDEN NAMES

  1. Marriage Records
  2. May include license, certificate, announcements, banns, bonds.
  3. You need to know spouse’s name, locations, and approximate marriage date.
  1. Cemetery Records
  2. May be the only place where you will find proof of her existence.
  3. Check nearby plots for possible family members.
  4. If epitaph says “nee” (French for born), you’ll have maiden name.
  1. Census Records
  2. Check every census year available, up until the year she died.
  3. Young couples may be found living with wife’s parents, elderly parents or siblings may have been added to household.
  4. Clues may be found in names of family living nearby.
  1. Land Records
  2. Land was important, and often passed down from father to daughter.
  3. Examine deeds for the couple and look for Latin phrases “et ux” (and wife) and “et al” (and others). They may provide the names of females, or names of siblings or children.
  4. Look for a man or a couple selling land for $1 or another small amount. The sellers are more than likely the parents of the wife.
  1. Church Records
  2. Usually a good source for birth or christening records, which may include the names of both parents, including mother’s maiden name.
  3. Marriage records usually include bride’s maiden name.
  1. Probate Records and Wills
  2. If you have a possible set of parents for your female ancestor, search for probate record or will.
  3. Probate packets may often include an “heir search”.
  1. Newspaper Records
  2. Local newspapers may include birth or marriage announcements or obituaries.
  3. Combine a list of ancestor’s siblings with census research and look for their obituaries.
  1. Death Records
  2. Potentially one of the few places where her maiden name may appear.
  3. Check for the name of the informant. Closeness of their relationship can help assess the accuracy of the information.
  4. Funeral home records are an excellent source of free information.
  5. Many county courthouses keep death books of people who died before state registration of vital records – generally 1905.
  1. Military Records
  2. Family members often signed as witnesses.
  3. Pension applications and military service records may include good biographical information.
  1. Naming Patterns
  2. A clue may be found buried among the names of her children.
  3. Look for unusual middle names among both girls and boys.
  1. Social Security Card Applications
  2. Social Security was enacted in 1936. Birth names and the maiden name of the applicant’s mother are required