General Chat

Why on earth have genes done away with all the second names, now if you put in a search with the full name, it says 0 found, if you just put the first names there are too many to choose from a second name helps one separate one person from another; ludicrous if you ask me. WHY GENES REUNITED have you done this, its absolute madness.

Best to address this to Support, they don't as a rule read the boards.

but if it insisted on a second name and you didnt know it or the person being searched for didnt have one then the program would still say non found

not everyone had a second name or if they did didnt use it anyway


depends what program you are using to search ,is it members trees or bmd and census records

census often werent listed in the actual sheets with any second names

Have known too for a second name to be acquired during a persons lifetime but they werent registered with it at birth

also posted on Suggestions Board (useless!!!)

I have given the email address for GR support, and suggested Pam contact them directly.

But I would note that many official records (eg GRO and therefore Freebmd, censuses, etc) do NOT have second names, they MAY have an initial for the second name.

If the record does not provide a second name, then GR cannot add one!

I think that way back in the life of these boards, one could include a middle name when searching for names in trees.
This was very useful particularly for common surnames, eg. JONES or DAVIES.

I agree it wasn't foolproof, but was a help and guidance.

I too have known people to acquire middle names later in life. One man in my tree suddenly gained a middle name when he married for the 3rd time at age 68, perhaps trying to impress his wife's family. He also took a good few years off his age, but signatures show him to be the same man.

Out of curiosity, I just put my mother's full maiden name into "Search All Records" and I did get her Birth and Marriage Record with her first name and middle initial.

Also searched her brother's name. He never married but his birth in Kent and his death in Wales has come up again with first name and middle initial.

Has anyone else on the boards tried it to see if it works?

OH's Welsh grandfather acquired a middle name when he became a Methodist minister in his mid- to late-20s ......... presumably in an attempt to distinguish himself from all the other men with his name, which was a very common Welsh combination! :-D

It took me years to determine that was what had happened!!

They usually hyphenate their surnames if they become famous on Welsh Channel television here

Or sometimes add "Ap" (means son of) :-D :-D :-D

Sometimes I think it's pretentious, but then I remind myself with names like Jones, Evans, Davies etc it's probably needed - especially for an Equity card :-D :-D

Have replied on thread on Livinng Relatives board