Archives for 18 April 2017

Do you have an interest in surnames in addition to the one you registered as your one-name study?  Did you know that through your Guild membership, you can register an interest in Other Surnames?  Why do this when you perhaps have no intent to ever do a one-name study on that “other” name?  It is about making connections: others searching the surname can find you and you can exchange information.  In the surname search on the Guild home page, the “other surname” category returns a result that identifies it as not a registered study, but an interest for a member and a contact.  This has the benefit of perhaps advancing your personal family history and for some, might eventually mean making the decision to register a second study.

There are a couple of caveats: first, if the surname is a registered study by another member, it is not available for “Other Surnames”; second, if at some point in the future a member does register the name, it can no longer be included as an interest.  Where do you find this member benefit?  It is easily accessed through the member options on the home page (you must be logged in): See the screen shot below.  Once you click on “Other Surname Interests”, a simple online registration appears where you can, if you prefer, restrict your interest geographically or by years.  The second screen shot below shows the submission form. 

Only 231 members have taken advantage of this option to date, although they have registered multiple surnames. It is perhaps not a well-known feature, so become part of “those in the know” and register a surname or two!