Finding female ancestors is a notorious roadblock for researchers because of the simple fact that women’s names historically changed after marriage.
In fact, a married woman’s identity became so affixed to her husband’s that even her own death record or obituary might make no mention of her maiden name. Other records may give only a first name or nickname: Polly, Fanny or Sally. Finding that hidden maiden name is crucial to identifying the woman’s parents and extending her family line, and a challenge nearly every genealogist faces at some point.
Fortunately, you can usually solve these maiden-name mysteries with a little legwork. We’ll look at 12 types of resources to explore (from easy-to-find documents to those that require more digging). As you search, keep an eye out for other names mentioned in your ancestor’s records, because the people a woman interacted with and relied on could have been related to her.
1 FAMILY SOURCES
Keepsakes handed down from one generation to the next often provide information about the wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and grandmothers in a family:
• Letter and diaries: Many women saved personal correspondence or kept diaries. As you read these, make a list of both familiar and unfamiliar names, noting any relationships you perceive.• Labels on photographs could suggest unknown family members or old hometowns.• Scrapbooks and baby books might contain newspaper clippings, lists of people who attended events, certificates or programs, and other clues to family origins• Bibles: If you’re lucky enough• Old recipe cards can even help you make a connection to female relatives.
