Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Starting Your Mexico Genealogy Search - Nicknames Can Hurt You
People send me the name of someone they are trying to find in Mexico. Sometimes I find the name is actually a nickname. Something to keep in mind is that with databases and listings, names are always in a formal format. Nicknames are not used. If you use a nickname, this decreases tremendously your chances of receiving any helpful feedback.
If you are doing a family genealogy search, you don't want to be using nicknames. It's sometimes confusing enough with misspelling on important documents such as birth and death certificates. You don't want to confuse people who could possibly help you with your family genealogy search by using nicknames instead of the person's proper name.
This also applies to cities. Sometimes people will ask for help, but they will reference the name the locals have for a city. It's very difficult to locate a city using a name known mostly to the indigenous people of a Mexican village.
When trying to find someone whether in the U.S., Mexico or abroad, always use the person's and the city's formal name. This will help ensure you get the help you are looking for.
The Mexico Guru
Find Relatives In Mexico
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