Best Practice for adding people whose first or last or both names are unknown

[patsy 0]

I have several subjects in my database who fit into one of the three following categories:

 

1. First name is UNknown, but maiden/last name is known

 

2. First name is known, but maiden name is UNknown

 

3. Both first and maiden names are UNknown

 

What is the best way to add these names? I know that leaving surnames blank will print as (--?--) in reports, which is fine. I'm trying to keep the narrative reading flow easy to read. Unknown (--?--) isn't a great way to do it.

 

Thanks for suggestions, and I believe I have exhausted all of my questions for now!

[Paul Lawrence 0]

I have several subjects in my database who fit into one of the three following categories:

 

1. First name is UNknown, but maiden/last name is known

 

2. First name is known, but maiden name is UNknown

 

3. Both first and maiden names are UNknown

 

What is the best way to add these names? I know that leaving surnames blank will print as (--?--) in reports, which is fine. I'm trying to keep the narrative reading flow easy to read. Unknown (--?--) isn't a great way to do it.

 

Thanks for suggestions, and I believe I have exhausted all of my questions for now!

 

It's a personal preference and you will probably get several answers...just be sure to pick one method and stick to it...what I've used for years....

 

Unknown Surname

 

GivenName ?

 

Unknown ?

 

If the unknown is a the spouse of someone I add in the Suffix field -(w-o John Jones), w-o = wife of, the "-" exclusion marker to keep it from printing but permits it to appear in the Project Explorer and Pick List.

 

I have instances where I leave the surname blank as in early medieval times when surnames were not used...I suppress the printing of (--?--) in reports so it doesn't appear when the surname is blank.

 

Just my method...others will have theirs...

[patsy 0]

Just my method...others will have theirs...

 

Thank you, again!

[John Cardinal 0]

I leave the name subfields blank if I don't know them. If you don't like how that looks when one of those names appears as "(--- ? ----)" or whatever in a particular sentence, I'd adjust the sentence.

[patsy 0]

I leave the name subfields blank if I don't know them. ..

 

Thanks for your suggestion!

[Guest ProudFossil]

When I confronted this problem I was not happy with using a simple substitute for the given name. This could lead to dozens of identical names, e.g., UNKNOWN Jones in the picklists and people listings. Even worse, in the case of both names being unknown I was faced with UNKNOWN UNKNOWN. Leaving them blank added to the confusion.

 

Here are the conventions I use:

 

If the surname is unknown, then I use "(Unknown Surname)" The parentheses insure these will sort at the beginning of the surname sorted list and it specifically denotes that I have no idea as to the name.

 

If the given name is unknown, then I construct a substitute based upon the gender and birth year of the individual. The general format is "((x)*****(y))". x = m or f and y is the birth year. If the birth year is not known then I use ???? as the birth year. The asterisks have no meaning other than to separate the two parts of the name and to make the name stand out as partially missing in the picklist and reports.

 

Examples:

 

William (Unknown Surname)

((m)*****(1753)) Jones

((f)*****(????)) Smith

 

This way I can at least tell the sex and approximate era for the missing given name individual. It does a few keystrokes to entering the individual but I believe this is offset by the partial clarification of the individual's characteristics.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mike

[patsy 0]

When I confronted this problem I was not happy with using a simple substitute for the given name. This could lead to dozens of identical names, e.g., UNKNOWN Jones in the picklists and people listings. Even worse, in the case of both names being unknown I was faced with UNKNOWN UNKNOWN. Leaving them blank added to the confusion.

 

Here are the conventions I use:

 

If the surname is unknown, then I use "(Unknown Surname)" The parentheses insure these will sort at the beginning of the surname sorted list and it specifically denotes that I have no idea as to the name.

 

If the given name is unknown, then I construct a substitute based upon the gender and birth year of the individual. The general format is "((x)*****(y))". x = m or f and y is the birth year. If the birth year is not known then I use ???? as the birth year. The asterisks have no meaning other than to separate the two parts of the name and to make the name stand out as partially missing in the picklist and reports.

 

Examples:

 

William (Unknown Surname)

((m)*****(1753)) Jones

((f)*****(????)) Smith

 

This way I can at least tell the sex and approximate era for the missing given name individual. It does a few keystrokes to entering the individual but I believe this is offset by the partial clarification of the individual's characteristics.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mike

 

Thanks, Mike. Good system.

[Max 0]

In Europe it is also a common practice to use N. N. (= nomen nescio) for unkonwn names.

Max