How to Read Italian Marriage Records REVISED

This is the third and last in a series of articles revising my February 2017 look at Italian vital records. Today we'll dissect Italian marriage records so you can:

• Find the important details you need for your family tree, and
• Overcome any language barrier.

Italian marriage records include:

• Two dates, usually a week apart, when the couple publicly posted their intention to marry. These are the marriage banns. Today's equivalent is the "speak now or forever hold your peace" statement.
• A third date when the banns are complete and the couple receives permission to marry.
• The groom and bride's basic information.
• The date on which the mayor married the couple.
• The date on which the couple married in the church. A small number of couples will not have a church wedding. The church wedding may be the same day as the civil wedding or it may be sometime later.

The look of the marriage records changed over time, but the main details are the same. Each marriage record boils down to this:

On this date, two people came to city hall to ask the mayor to marry them before witnesses. The document spells out the groom and bride's:

• names
• ages
• professions
• places of birth and/or residence, and
• their parents' names.

This article divides Italian marriage records into six phases based on their layout. Each phase spans several years.

For each type of Italian marriage record below, you'll find a simple version of the wording used. Then you'll see an image highlighting certain key facts. The words for names, ages, dates, and professions are handwritten on the documents. Other phrases are usually pre-printed. It's the handwritten words that are critical to your family tree.

Phase One Civil Marriage Records, Circa 1809–1819

The exact layout of the pre-printed sections varies, but the basic layout is the same.

Simple version: On this date and hour there appeared before me, the mayor of this town, the following people. This man of this age and profession, living in this place, son of this father and mother who give their consent. And also this woman of this age and profession, living in this place, daughter of this father and mother who give their consent. They requested to be married, and they have completed the publication of their intention to marry. I declare them to be united in matrimony in the presence of these witnesses (name, age, profession, residence). The bride, groom, and witnesses attest to these facts by signing below.

The earliest Italian marriage records have a lot of handwritten sections, but the format is straightforward.

Phase Two Civil Marriage Records, Circa 1820–1853

This phase introduces a second column where the parish priest records the date of the church wedding. The main part of the marriage record follows the same pattern as Phase One above.

Simple version of the marriage column: On this date in this parish, the parish priest certifies that the celebration of matrimony took place on this date in the presence of these witnesses. The mayor attests that he has seen the marriage document.

This phase of Italian marriage records adds a column for the church wedding. Pay attention to its format.

Phase Three Civil Marriage Records, Circa 1854–1865

Depending on the town, the marriage records for this phase may cover two pages. Page two uses a lot of space to provide details about four witnesses to the church wedding. Each of the four lines is as follows:

Simple version: This man, of this age, of this profession, resident of this town and street.

Example: Eduardo delGrosso of the age 40 of the profession lawyer, resident of Colle, street Piazza.

Two-page Italian marriage records give you details about 4 witnesses, but the main format is the same.

Phase Four Civil Marriage Records, Circa 1866–1874

Ah, the dreaded fully-handwritten marriage records. But you're prepared. Because you're learning the basic format of Italian marriage records, you CAN find what you need.

Simple version: The year, the day of the month at this hour in the city hall of this town there appeared before the mayor the following people. These witnesses (name, age, profession) who live in this town. Groom, of age, profession, living in this town, son of this father and of this mother, residents of this town. Bride, of age, profession, living in this town, daughter of this father and of this mother, residents of this town. They requested to be married, they have submitted the requested documents, and their are no impediments to their marriage. I, the mayor, have performed the marriage. The bride, groom, and witnesses attest to these facts by signing below.

Fully handwritten Italian marriage records can be daunting until you realize the format is the same as always.

Phase Five Civil Marriage Records, Circa 1875–1929

This phase is an easy-to-read single page without a lot of handwriting. There may be no mention of the church wedding. Notice how the basic format is the same as all the previous phases. Only the layout has changed.

Simple version: The year, the day of the month at this hour before the mayor of the town appeared the following people. 1. Groom, of age, profession, born in this town, living in this town, son of this father, resident of this town, and of this mother, resident of this town; 2. Bride, of age, profession, born in this town, living in this town, daughter of this father, resident of this town, and of this mother, resident of this town. They requested to be married, they have submitted the requested documents, and there are no impediments to their marriage. I, the mayor, have performed the marriage in the presence of these witnesses (names). The bride, groom, and witnesses attest to these facts by signing below.

Later Italian marriage records are the easiest to read, and the important details are at the top.

Phase Six Civil Marriage Records, Circa 1930–1951

This phase is very much like the previous phase, but it adds one fact. It mentions the church wedding in the column and above the couple's names in the body of the document. It may present the groom and bride's information in two columns. Beneath their details are the dates on which they published their intention to marry.

Simple version: The year, the day of the month at this hour the mayor of the town has learned that on this year, date, month, and hour in this parish, the following people were married according to Catholic rites. 1. Groom, of age, profession, born in this town, living in this town, of this race and this nationality, son of this father and of this mother; 2. Bride, of age, profession, born in this town, living in this town, of this race and this nationality, daughter of this father and of this mother. The couple are officially married. They published their intention to marry on these dates.

And in the column beneath their names: Today, day, month, year, this representative of the church submits the record of this marriage.

The latest available Italian marriage records include the church name and wedding date.

When you know what to look for and where to find it, you can get what you need from Italian marriage records.

In case you missed these companion articles:

• How to Read an Italian Birth Record REVISED
• How to Read an Italian Death Record REVISED

How to Read an Italian Death Record REVISED

Almost eight years ago I wrote an article called How to Read an Italian Death Record. Last week I updated my 8-year-old article on Italian birth records. Today we tackle death records.

For most of my ancestral hometowns, there are no death records online for the years 1861–1930. But I do have one town with all these years, so I'll pull my examples from there.

I've divided the death records into five multi-year phases. Each of the five looks different and presents its information a bit differently. For each phase below, you'll find a simple version of the wording used. Then you'll see a more detailed version and an image highlighting certain key facts.

No matter how the document looks, the death record format boils down to this: Two witnesses came to the mayor and said someone died.

Phase One Civil Death Records, Circa 1809–1811

On many of the earliest death records, the name of the deceased's parents and spouse may be missing. This is awful, but at least it's only for a short time span.

Simple version: Today, on this date there appeared before the mayor of the town two people of this age, profession, and address, and they declare that on this date has died this person, of this age and profession, living in this place.

And having seen with our own eyes that this person is dead, we authorize the church to bury the body after 24 hours.

The earliest Italian death records contain the least amount of detail about the deceased.

Detailed version: Today, day (number) of the month of (month) in the year (number), there appeared before the mayor of the town (the name, age, profession, and address of two witnesses declaring the death), and they declared that today at this hour (number) has died (name of deceased), of the age (number) and the profession (profession), who was living in this town on the street (street name).

And having seen with our own eyes that (deceased's name) is dead, we authorize the church to bury the body after 24 hours.

Phase Two Civil Death Records, Circa 1812–1820

Simple version: This year, day, and month, there appeared before the mayor of the town two people of this age, profession, and address, and they declare that on this date in this month has died this person who lived at this place, was married to this person, and was the child of this couple.

The deceased was this age, this profession, lived at this place, and died at this place.

According to the law, we are transferring the body and recording these facts.

From about 1812 through 1820, Italian death records tell more about the deceased's family.

Detailed version: In this year (number) on this day (number) of this month (month) at this hour (number), before the mayor in the city hall of the town appeared two men (whose names, ages, professions, and addresses are written out).

They declare that on (date) of (the same) month (deceased's name, spouse of name, child of parents' names), age (number), profession (profession), who lived at (place name) has died at (place name).

According to the law, we are transferring the body and recording these facts.

Phase Three Civil Death Records, Circa 1821–1865

Simple version: This year, day, month, and time, there appeared before the mayor of the town two people who declare that on this date and month has died in their own home this person, and they were married to this person.

The deceased was this age, was born in this place, was of this profession, and lived in this place, and they were the child of this man, of this profession, who lived in this place, and this woman who lived in this place.

According to the law, we are transferring the body and recording these facts.

From about 1821 through 1865, these records are easier to read and have lots of detail.

Detailed version: In this year (number), day (number), month (month), and time (number), there appeared before the mayor of the town two men (whose names, ages, professions, and addresses are written out), and they declare that on this date (number) in the month of (month) has died in their own home (deceased's name), and they were married to (spouse's name).

The deceased was this age (number), was born in (place name), of the profession (profession), lived in (place name), they were the child of (father's name), of the profession (profession), who lived in (place name), and (mother's name) who lived in (place name).

According to the law, we are transferring the body and recording these facts.

Phase Four Civil Death Records, Circa 1866–1874

Simple version: This year, day, month, and time, there appeared before the mayor of the town two people who declare that at this time on this date and month has died in their own home this person, of this profession, of this age, who lived in this town and was married to this person. The were born in this place and were the child of this couple.

We present this document and declare this information to be true.

The handwritten documents from about 1866 through 1874 follow the standard format.

Detailed version: In this year (number), day (number), month (month), and time (number), there appeared before the mayor of the town two men (whose names, ages, professions, and addresses are written out), and they declare that on this date (number) in the month of (month) has died in their own home (deceased's name), and they were married to (spouse's name).

The deceased was age (number), was born in (place name), of the profession (profession), lived in (place name), they were the child of (father's name) and of the profession (profession), who lived in (place name), and (mother's name) who lived in (place name).

We present this document and declare this information to be true.

Phase Five Civil Death Records, Circa 1875–1945

Simple version: In this year, day, month, and time, there appeared before the mayor of the town two people who declare that at this time on this day and at this address has died this person, of this age, of this profession, who lived in this town, was born in this town, and was the child of this couple, who was [single or married to this person].

Two other witnesses attest to these facts and all declare the facts to be true.

The more modern Italian birth records, from about 1875 on, are the easiest to read.

Detailed version: In this year (number), day (number), month (month), and time (number), there appeared before the mayor of the town two people (whose names, ages, professions, and addresses are written out), and they declare that at this time (number) on this day (usually "oggi" for today or "ieri" for yesterday), and at (place name) has died (deceased's name), age (number), profession, who lived in (town name), was born in (town name), child of (father's name, profession, and hometown) and (mother's name, profession, and hometown), who was (single or married to spouse's name).

Note: The word celibe means an unmarried man, while nubile means an unmarried woman.

This testimony is confirmed by (name), age (number), (profession), and (name), age (number), (profession), both living in this town. All present attest to these facts and all declare them to be true.

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The same holds true for any vital record in any language. When you know what to expect to see and where to find it, you can harvest the important facts for your family tree.

Don't miss these companion articles:

• How to Read an Italian Birth Record REVISED
• How to Read Italian Marriage Records REVISED

How to Read an Italian Birth Record REVISED

In February 2017, I published an article called How to Read an Italian Birth Record. This update goes into far more detail.

The format of these birth records changed over time. This article divides Italian birth records into four phases, each spanning several years.

For each type of Italian birth record below, you'll find a simple version of the wording used. Then you'll see a more detailed version and an image highlighting certain key facts. This includes many Italian words and their English translations. The words in parentheses below are often handwritten while other phrases are pre-printed. The handwritten words are critical to your family tree. They include names, dates, places, ages, and professions.

Note that in some towns and in some years you may find a handwritten notation in the margin of a birth record. This may include the date of this child's marriage and the name of their spouse. Or it may state the date of the baby's baptism.

It's important to pay attention to who is presenting the baby. Who is coming to the town hall with a newborn? It's usually the father, but it may be a grandparent. Many times it's the midwife [levatrice] who delivered the baby.

Phase One Civil Birth Records, Circa 1809–1819

Simple version: On this date the following person appeared before the mayor to present a newborn baby. He states that the baby was born to his wife at this date and time, and they are giving this name to the baby. These people acted as witnesses.

Early Italian birth records, from about 1809 through 1819, include a bit less detail than in later years.

Detailed version: Today (day, month, year and hour) appearing before the mayor [Sindaco] of this town is (name, usually of the father of the newborn baby), of the profession (profession) of the age (number) living in this town at (place name).

This person presents a baby (bambino for a boy, bambina for a girl) who he declares to be his (son or daughter) by his legitimate wife [moglie] (baby's mother's name).

The baby was born on the day (day of the month) in the month of (month name) at the hour (hour of the day or night), and according to this person is named (baby's name).

What follows is a standard statement mentioning the names, ages, and professions of two witnesses. The mayor signs his name after a statement that he declares the above facts to be true. The father and the witnesses may be illiterate, so they will sign the document with a cross.

Sometimes these early birth records will include a small note in the margin with the date of the baby's baptism.

Phase Two Civil Birth Records, Circa 1820–1865

The next phase of birth records includes a second column to record the baptism of the baby. The main column now includes a bit more detail than before.

Simple version: On this date the following person appeared before the mayor to present a newborn baby. He states that the baby was born to his wife and to himself at this date and time. They are giving this name to the baby. These people acted as witnesses.

And in the second column (this will sound odd): On this date in this parish I declare that on this date I recorded the fact that on this date I baptized this baby.

Tip: If you see multiple dates in this column, the earliest one is the actual baptism date. A priest may be writing on the 5th that he recorded on the 4th that he baptized a baby on the 3rd!

From about 1820 through 1865, Italian birth records add more detail plus baptism information.

Detailed version: On this date (day, month, year and hour) appearing before the mayor [Sindaco] of (town name) is (name, usually of the father of the newborn baby), of the profession (profession) living in this town, and this person presents a baby (bambino for a boy, bambina for a girl) who he declares to be born to his legitimate wife [moglie] (her name) of the age (number) living in (usually "detto Comune" or "come sopra", both meaning "this town") and to himself of the age (either a number or "come sopra" meaning "as above"), of the profession (profession) living in (this town) on the day (number; this is the date of birth—often earlier than the date at the top of the document), at the hour (hour of the day of night) in the house (often it will say "di propia abitazione" meaning "his own house").

This same person states that he gives the baby the name of (baby's name).

What follows is a standard statement with the name, age, and profession of two witnesses. The mayor signs his name after a statement that he declares the above facts to be true. If the father or witnesses are illiterate, they will sign the document with a cross.

And in the second column: On this day and month in the parish of (church or town name) I state that on this day and month I made note that on this day and month of the current year I administered the sacrament of baptism to this child on this day and month.

I told you it was odd.

Phase Three Civil Birth Records, Circa 1866–1874

In this era, the birth records are completely handwritten. This is more of a challenge, but since you know the general format, you know which keywords to spot. You know where to look for the dates, names, ages, and professions.

These records offer one tremendous benefit. They tend to include the names of the baby's two grandfathers. That single fact can help you distinguish between people with the same name. Records after 1865 do not include baptism information.

Simple version: On this date and in this town the following person appeared before the mayor to present a newborn baby. He states that the baby was born at this date and time to himself and his wife in this town in this place. They are giving this name to the baby. These people acted as witnesses.

The handwritten documents from 1866 through 1874 are more challenging, but they have one advantage.

Detailed version: On this date in the city hall [Casa Comunale] there appeared before the mayor [Sindaco] (his name and sometimes the date he became mayor) this person (his name and his father's first name), of the age (number), profession (profession), living in this town, and he presented a baby of the sex ("maschile" for male or "femminile" for female) who he declared was born on this day, month, and hour to his wife [moglie] (her name, her father's first name, her age and sometimes her profession) in this town on (street or neighborhood name). To this child they give the name (baby's name).

This person made this declaration in the presence of these witnesses (their names, ages, and professions), and the mayor declares the information in this document to be true.

Phase Four Civil Birth Records, Circa 1875–1922

In all my ancestral hometowns, the available civil birth records end in 1915. There are a very small number of birth records on the Antenati website from as late as 1922.

Simple version: On this date the mayor of this town saw the following person. He declared that on this hour, day, and month, in his house to his wife a baby was born. They give this name to the baby. These people acted as witnesses.

The more modern Italian birth records, from about 1875 on, are the easiest to read.

Detailed version: On this date the mayor [Sindaco] (his name) of this town (town name) saw the following person (his name, age, and profession) living in (usually "questo Comune" meaning "this town"). He declared that on this hour, day, and month, in his house on (street name and house number) to his wife [moglie] (her name, age and possibly her profession) a baby was born of the sex ("maschile" for male or "femminile" for female). They give the baby this name (baby's name).

These people (their names, ages, professions) acted as witnesses to this presentation. The mayor declares the information in this document to be true.

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When you know what to expect to find on an Italian birth record, you'll know where to spot the details. These are the facts you need for your family tree.

Don't miss these companion articles:

• How to Read an Italian Death Record REVISED
• How to Read Italian Marriage Records REVISED

3 Steps to Take When Your Source Links Break

When you can't get to your favorite resource for your family tree anymore, there are 3 steps you need to take.

Tragedy strikes! An important resource changed its website URL. They broke 328 of my valuable source citation links. I noticed it one day when I tried to go to my bookmark for one of the resource's databases. It immediately redirected from my saved link to their new homepage link.

I didn't panic. I figured they're doing a website redesign. I've lived through countless redesigns as a website manager. I know things can go wrong and take time to fix. I went back two days later and saw that they had indeed broken all my links and changed the whole interface.

Why is this a problem? Because we need to be able to prove our genealogy work. We need source citations so anyone (including us) can find the original for themselves, (as I did in Italy once). Seeing is believing.

We need to tell them where it's held, which book to open, which page to turn to, and even which lines to read.

But the archives in the province of Benevento, Italy, home of 90% of my ancestors, broke my citation links. What do I do?

If this happens to you with any online resource, take the following 3 steps:

1. See if there's a pattern to the URL change. You can use this new pattern to update your old, broken links. I noticed there was a unique 4- or 5-digit number in common between a record's old URL and new URL. A search-and-replace within Family Tree Maker didn't work, so I had to make the edits one at a time. That was a lot better than having to redo a search for each person on the new-styled website.

2. If there is no image, capture a screenshot of the facts, or copy the text, and paste it into your family tree. I can copy and paste each record's text and the new URL and update the source citation. I wasn't capturing all this detail in the past, including the volume and record numbers, but I will now.

When I save a document image from Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc., I add details about the image to:

• the image's properties
• the image's details within Family Tree Maker
• the source citation.

My census images, for example, tell you:

• which line numbers to look at
• the town, city, and state
• the enumeration district and supervisor's district
• which image it is (e.g. image 210 of 389)
• the link to the record
• the standard citation info provided by the website.

With that level of detail, even if the image goes offline, someone could access this census sheet. Note that I include document numbers or page numbers if they exist.

If you have to fix a bunch of broken source citations, seize the moment! Make them better and more useful. Make them hold their value.

3. Search for the bright side. While updating my broken bookmarks for this website, I discovered a new database. I captured details on men from my ancestral towns who were born as late as 1941. That's huge! Birth records after 1915 aren't online unless a person married between 1931 and 1942.

Yes, this is an inconvenience for me. But I can appreciate how they wanted to update the website and shorten their clunky URL. It's possible a new team runs the website and they wanted it to look more professional.

What lesson can you learn from my tragedy? Prepare yourself for future broken links by capturing all the information. Imagine it's way in the future, and a young genealogist finds your family tree online. Those ancient links don't work anymore. But you've given them so much detail that they can track down the original record for themselves.

They're grateful that you were such a thoughtful, professional family tree builder.

But wait a moment. Did you say you haven't been very good about source citations? Then these links are for you, STAT!

• How to Fix Bad or Missing Source Citations
• Choosing and Using the Most Reliable Sources
• Add Consistency to Your Source Citations

5 Types of Family Tree Photo Projects

Every family tree builder's photo collection needs some attention. These 5 types of projects do the job.

Let's take a look at several photo-related projects you need to consider for your family tree.

1. Organize your family photos

If you groaned when you read those words, you know you need to organize your family photos. In these two articles, I describe how I've improved the way I file, label, and store my collection of photos.

"It's Time to Organize All Your Family Photos" helps you assess your collection and set your goals. I share my photo-naming strategy and how I'm helping to keep my collection safe from harm.

"It's Time to Tame Your Family Photos" discusses bad practices that are all-too common. Take a look at how to pull yourself out of the quagmire and form new and better practices.

2. Use photo-editing tools for better results

Why would you scan a battered, creased, color-faded photo and put it in your family tree in that sorry state? "How to Improve Old Photos and Genealogy Documents" shows you how to color-correct, sharpen, and repair those old photos.

I spent time going through the document images in my family tree to improve them. Does the image you downloaded have a ton of black space around the edges? Crop it out. Was it digitized at an angle, forcing you to tilt your head to read it? Straighten it out. It's easy to do.

Why should you bother improving those tattered old photos? "Conjuring Up Memories of a Missing Relative" shows how restoring a photo can restore your treasured memories. I didn't have any photos of Grandpa's house in the Bronx that I'd visited for decades. Restoring a faded photo made me feel as if I were standing outside his front door once again.

Ancestry.com is offering photo-colorization after MyHeritage made a big splash with it. I tried the MyHeritage tool a while ago. In "Improving on the MyHeritage Photo Enhancer," I show you how to take colorized output and improve it with photo-editing software.

Don't settle for faded, creased, damage family photos. It doesn't take an expert to bring them back to life.

3. Use technology to figure out who's who in a photo

Can you imagine how thrilling it was when my first cousin sent me a carton of her late mother's photos? It was a dream come true. "My Aunt's Photos Tell the Other Side of the Story" discusses how you can use a gifted photo collection to learn more about the photos you already have. You may find, as I did, photographic proof of family lore you've been hearing all your life.

While going through my late aunt's photo collection, I found one photo that I thought was of Grandpa. But could I be sure? I went in search of online tools to help me feel more confident. In "2 Free Websites Compare Photos to See Who's Who," I give you the links to these tools and share my results in using them.

4. Use historical photos to add context

When thinking about my ancestors arriving in New York City from their rural Italian towns, I imagined the Bronx of the 1960s. But they arrived shortly before 1900. The Bronx was a dramatically different place in 1899 than it was when I visited them in the 1960s.

In "Picturing America Through Your Ancestors Eyes," we'll take a look at free, online collections from the Library of Congress that can help you visualize the "new country" as your ancestors saw it.

The Library of Congress isn't the only free, online resource. "Add Context to Your Family Tree With Historic Photos" explores a few other sites you can use to add more flavor to your family tree. I found photos that helped explain what I was looking at in some of my own family photos.

I love to use Google Street View to wander down the streets of my ancestors' hometowns. I've even revisited my favorite places in France, trying to pinpoint the sites we enjoyed. "Time-Travel With Vintage Landmark Photos" contains links showing you how famous places looked long ago. While European landmarks may look the same, the changes to a place like New York City are dramatic.

Which photos will you find that show you what your ancestors saw?

5. To share or not to share your family photos

As the family genealogist, I'll bet you want to share your findings with your cousins. "Finding the Best Family Photo Sharing Option" explores online platforms you can use to share and collaborate with your cousins on old family photos. I have lots of photos where I was too young to remember the details, but my older cousins can tell me what I don't know. And you can share your collection in complete privacy.

Speaking of privacy, I removed all photographs from my online tree due to an Ancestry policy change. The photos are all in my Family Tree Maker file, but marking them as private prevents them from appearing online. In "Which Part of Your Ancestry Needs to Be Private?" I discuss that policy and the reasons you may want to keep your family photos offline.

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I've given you a lot to think about today. I hope that some of these points resonate with you, and that they'll lead you to take action. Photos are some of our most precious genealogy keepsakes. Treat them like the treasures they are.

5 Common Mistakes on Vital Records

Is something wrong on that vital record? Don't turn the page. Know how to spot a simple mistake.

Vital records are crucial pieces of your family history. Without them, I would have no information at all about my ancestors from the old country.

But, is every vital record 100% correct? Of course not. Vital records have mistakes for many reasons, including:

• Clerical error. The town clerk recording the vital record may write something in error. They're only human and they can make mistakes.
• Lack of knowledge. Imagine a death record for someone born in another country. Their son is the informant. He provides the names of his grandparents, but he never met his grandparents. He may never have known his grandmother's maiden name.
• Misunderstanding. The person writing the information may not hear a name correctly. Or there may be some confusion about a particular detail.
• Local and cultural customs. Lots of people go by their middle name. When your daughters are Maria Rosa, Maria Teresa, and Maria Angela, they can't all go by Maria! And what happens to a family when they move to another country and try to fit in? Often they change their names.

If you know which types of mistakes you may find on a vital record, you can recognize and deal with them. Here are 5 common mistakes to look for on vital records.

1. Wrong Parent's Name on a Birth, Death, or Marriage Record

If 5 out of 6 names are correct on a vital record, that 6th name could be an error. Imagine a birth record where the baby's first and last names are what you expected. It's your grandmother's full name. And her father's first and last names are correct. But when you look at her mother, her first name is right and her last name is wrong. So, 5 out of 6 names are correct. Is it your grandmother's birth record?

Take a look at the rest of the details. Is the place correct? Is your great grandfather's occupation correct? Is there another couple in town with the names you see on this document?

Whenever I record a vital record in my family tree that has an error, I make note of it. In the birth date's description field, I add a standard phrase. For example, "Her mother's last name is Ferraro on her birth record". This tells me, and anyone who finds my tree online, that I'm aware of the discrepancy, but I've done my homework. (It's helpful to have standard phrases to use in your family tree.)

I learned a helpful fact about Italian vital records that can come into play with this type of error. Sometimes they can record a woman's name using her mother's maiden name. I don't know why—to distinguish her from another woman with her name? But I have seen it happen.

When you've researched the whole family, a name error on one vital record won't ruin your day.

2. Wrong Sibling's Birth Date on a Marriage Record

In some countries it was common to re-use a first name among your children. If your baby Giovanni died, you named your next baby boy Giovanni. When the second Giovanni grew up and married, what if a clerk found the first Giovanni's birth record? He'd enter that date into the marriage record.

I've seen this happen a lot. It's only because I've already documented the death of Giovanni #1 that I know this is an error. To keep from recording an error in your family tree, research the whole family.

3. Wrong Grandparent's Name on a Birth, Death, or Marriage Record

It's very common to see the wrong names on a U.S. death record of someone born overseas. My great grandmother's brother was born Giuseppe Antonio Caruso. On his 1949 U.S. death certificate, he is Joseph A. Caruso. The informant was one of his daughters, Rose. Rose never met her grandparents in Italy. She named them as Frank (he was Francesco) and Maria Gerard. Maria's last name had been a roadblock for me, but I knew Gerard was going to be a clue. Piecing together clues, I found it. Her name was Girardi! Rose seems to have used a more American version of the name.

When my 2nd great grandfather died in New York in 1925, his eldest son was the informant. He said my 3rd great grandmother was Mary Piseo. You know what Italian documents say her name was? Grazia Ucci. Talk about a red herring.

On many Italian vital records, they wrote a person's name and then their father's first name. (See "3. Grandfathers' Names".) This can be so helpful in telling same-named people apart. In particular, birth records in the 1860s–1870s include the two parents' fathers' names. But sometimes there's a mistake. The record may say Antonio is the son of Giovanni when he was the son of Giuseppe. As with error #1 above, you have to consider all the details on a document to see if this is nothing more than a mistake.

4. Person Goes By a Different Name

When my mother was born, they asked her immigrant father, "What is the baby's name?" He said Mariangela. My grandmother was out cold, so she couldn't speak up. Mariangela was not the plan. A clerk recorded the name as Marie Angela. The plan was to name her Maryann, and that's always been her name.

The story is that my grandfather wanted to name her after his mother, Mariangela. Then I came along and became a genealogist. You know what I found? My great grandmother's 1 Jan 1856 birth record says she is Marianna. (That's way closer to Maryann, by the way.) So who is Mariangela?

Researching her entire family, I found 7 siblings. The first child, born in 1843, was Mariangela. She died in 1847. The sixth child was Marianna…sometimes. When Marianna married in 1881, she was still Marianna. But when her first and fourth children were born, she was Mariangela. Her name kept going back and forth. I suspect she went my the name Mariangela within her family as a tribute to her dead sister. But on some official documents, she used her proper name of Marianna. My grandfather must have known her as Mariangela.

Follow their complete paper trail to figure out what's a mistake, what's a custom, and what's a matter of fitting in.

5. Complete Change of Name in a New Country

Some of our ancestors hung onto their ethnic identity more than others. I'm impressed that my grandfathers hung onto their Italian names for life. Some people called them Adam and Peter, but every document calls them Adamo and Pietro. Their American children change how they pronounced their last names. But Adamo and Pietro stuck to the origin pronunciation.

This is not the norm. I've documented so many distant relatives who came to America from Italy. Most Giuseppes became Joe. Most Giovannis became John, my great grandfather included. My grand aunt Assunta became Susie.

You may have family members who ditched their ethnic birth name for a more common name. In my family tree I have a Ross who was born Rosario, a Sam who was born Semplicio, and a Julia who was born Giovina.

You need to recognize and look past a name change when seeking vital records for your family member. A family from my great grandparents' town had the last name Muollo (my 2nd great grandmother's name). The family settled in Pennsylvania. Muollo is so hard for an American mouth to say (mwo-lo) that they changed it to Williams. Williams! If a member of that family hadn't told me this, I'd have lost track of the entire group.

If you're trying to follow a family that changed its last name, pay attention to the first names. Let's say I didn't know the Muollos became the Williamses, and I decided to look at the census records for their town. If I found a family that included Ernest, Michael, Teresa, Carl, and Mary Rose, I'd know this was the Muollo family.

Try to find documents to support that name change. Then change your search to include the new name.

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Mistakes can happen. They do happen. Know what to look for, do your research, and you can deal with the inevitable mistakes on vital records.

Have you missed any of these recent articles from Fortify Your Family Tree?

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