Without this vital piece of information, your research could hit a brick wall, hindering you from discovering an entire branch from your family tree.
The list provided here will give you suggestions on places to look for your ancestor’s maiden name.
1. Marriage Record: This should be the first place you look for a woman’s maiden name. Marriage records usually list the bride’s first and maiden name, as well as possibly her place of birth and/or residence, age, and parent’s names.
2. Census Records: Look for every census record during your female ancestor’s life. You may find her and her husband living with her parents, or you may find that her parents are living next door so be sure to also pay attention to neighbors.
3. Death Record: Sometimes a death record will list a woman’s maiden name, or even her parent’s names. These records are notorious for listing inaccurate information, so be sure to confirm the information with another source whenever possible.
4. Wills: While it wasn’t common practice for our female ancestors to leave wills, her husband may have left something to her brother in his will. This may be a bit of a stretch, but it never hurts to look!
5. Tombstone: Women’s maiden names are often written on their tombstones, whether it was listed as her surname (often followed by “wife of…”), or as her middle name.
6. Vital Records of her Children: A great place to look for your female ancestor’s maiden name is on the birth, marriage, and death records of her children. This is also a good reason why researching collateral ancestors (ancestors, such as aunts, uncles and cousins, who are not directly related to you) is recommended by many genealogists.
7. Obituary: If you know the date your ancestor died, you may be able to locate her obituary in her local newspaper. Her maiden name may also be listed in her children’s obituaries.
8. Pension Record: If your female ancestor’s husband fought in a war, he may have had a pension file that listed her maiden name.
9. Land Records: Your female ancestor’s father may have passed land on to her, so checking deeds may be helpful in determining her maiden name; however, because married women could not own land (only her husband could), the deed would likely be in the husband’s name. Search for records that lists your male ancestor’s name followed by et ux. (and wife) or et al. (and others), or for someone selling your ancestor land for $1.
10. Local History Books: Local history books may include information or stories about your female ancestor and her family and can often be purchased from town or city clerks, libraries, local bookstores, and sometimes online. You may also want to see if the book is available for free viewing on Google Books.
11. Naming Patterns: Children were sometimes given the middle name of their mother’s maiden name. If you find a child with an unusual middle name, or a middle name that you would usually associate with a surname, you may want to conduct a little research to determine if it is, indeed, your female ancestor’s maiden name. Another tip that may be helpful is that it was commonplace that the eldest daughter be named after her maternal grandmother.
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