Maiden Names in the United States

Introduction

One of the challenges in researching families from some European countries that immigrated to America is discovering the maiden name of a female ancestor. This can be an especially difficult challenge in records dating back in time from around 1850. There are a variety of different types of records that could be helpful. If you find yourself in the position of searching for a maiden name of an ancestor, be sure to take the time to do in depth research in the types of records suggested below.

Resources

See the following articles and books for information on United States records about finding the maiden names of your female ancestors:

• Finding Maiden Names in United States records. How to find names in United States sources. This webpage can be used with the wiki.familysearch.org

• 3 Ways to Unravel the Mysteries of Women in Your Family Tree FamilySearch Blog article.
• Schaefer, Christina Kassabian. The Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebook for Women's Genealogy. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1999. FHL Book 973 D27sc.
  

Here are some more books that might help:

• Allen, Donna Murray, “12 Ways to Find an Ancestor’s Maiden Name, Family Chronicle,7:1 (Sept/Oct 2002);62
• Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo, A Genealogist’s guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors (Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 1998).
• Deerborn, David C., “Methods to Identify a Wife’s Maiden Name,” The Essex Genealogist, 12 (1992):3-15
• Dollarhide, William, “Identifying Female Ancestors: Some Case Histories,” Heritage Quest, 17:3 (May/June 2001):8-17.
• Hogan, Roseann R.. “Female Ancestry,” Ancestry, 12:2 (March/April 1994): 26-28.

Also see the following links:

• Top 10 Places to find Maiden Names
• Maiden Names, Tips for Finding Them In Your Genealogy Research
• Five Tips for Learning Women's Maiden Names
• Female Ancestors – Finding a Wife’s Maiden Name