How to Complete a Family Tree Template
This is how you would record information for a family tree.
Filling out the names in your family tree template:
Record the first name first, then the other given names, with the surname last. Capitalize surnames, and place them last: e.g. Mark Peter SMITH. This helps to clarify which of the names is the person’s family name. For married women, always use the maiden name (surname at birth). If the maiden name is unknown, never use the married name in its place. Show the first name(s) followed by two forward slashes // to indicate that the maiden name is unknown: e.g. Colleen Elizabeth //.
If there are nicknames involved, then the nickname should be shown in quotes. For example, Jacob “Jac” SMITH. If someone has been adopted or undergone a legal name changed, then they should have the original name in brackets, and then a.k.a followed by their new name.
Remember to record surnames exactly as you find them. Don’t change them to what you think the correct spelling should be. Names were often misspelled due to illiteracy, transcription errors, or misunderstandings. Be sure to record every variation you find e.g. Smith, Smyth, Smithe may all represent the same individual so should be recorded as Mark Peter SMITH/SMYTH/SMYTHE.
You might also find that some surnames were changed due to immigration to a different country. This may have been a political reason, or it may be that they wanted to fit in. If you happen to know the original spelling of the name then you would record that first, then make a note of the version it was changed to later on.
How to enter dates into family trees:
Dates will normally be formatted using the European standard. This is different from the American standard because in this one the day would be listed, then the month, and then the year. The first letter of the month will be capitalized, leaving you with the following: 18 May 1911
If you don’t know the exact date, then you would place a prefix such as: abt which means: about. Another word you can use is ‘circa’ which means ‘around’. Use these when you want to use an approximate date rather than an exact one.
In the event that you do not know the precise date, but have an approximation of when it happened, then you can use “bet” which is short for ‘between’. To do this properly you would show the dates as: E.g. bet. 27 Feb 1921 – 29 Jun 2008.
When dates are shown in numerals only, in North America the month is shown first (04/06 would be Apr 6). In Europe and former colonies it is the day that is usually shown first (04/06) would be 4 Jun). If you are not sure in which way the recorded date should be interpreted, you might want to add a comment in the notes to indicate how you think it should be interpreted and why.
Location Data
Locations need to be recorded with extreme accuracy. It is important that you try to record the location in its entirety, and as such you should start with the smaller region, the country, and then the area. So with that in mind you would write it as such: London, England, United Kingdom (Or UK). Make sure you record births and deaths accurately; for a birth you would write B, for a death you would write D, and for marriage you would write M.
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