Many beginning genealogists are advised to be aware of the mistake called “the name’s the same.” That phrase refers to finding someone in a source—perhaps a census or tax record—and assuming they’re the person of interest simply because they have the same name.
But that’s not always the case, as many people (even within one community) could have the same name. This creates a problem of identity.
If you’ve also found people early in your research who you thought were relatives but later discovered they weren’t, you know the disappointment. You might feel you’ve wasted your time, or even resist letting go of these phantom ancestors if you’ve spent long hours in the search.
But don’t despair. We can learn the skills and strategies to properly solve problems of identity in our research. Here are different factors to consider when establishing someone’s identity, plus a case study for how I was able to sort through a many-named research subject.
Identity in Genealogy
Genealogical research usually begins with a question we want to answer. That research question keeps our focus on the sources most likely to contain the information we need and helps us use our time efficiently.
Genealogists typically have research questions that fit into one of three broad categories:
1. : Is X related to Y? For example: Is Thomas the father of James?2. : When and where did X do Z? For example: When did Thomas immigrate, and what port did he3. : Are these two the same person? For example: Is this “James Tanner” in Woodford County, Kentucky, in 1850 the same person as my ancestor, James Tanner?
