Individual-Search Execution

Search with the spelling-variations option.

Searching for low-german names has a particular challenge. First, for both given names and surnames, there were a relatively small number of names in use, and second, they came in different forms. For John, in dutch it was "Hans"; in german it was "Johann"; in russian it was Ivan. Different forms could appear on different documents.

GRanDMA has an elegant solution. The names are replaced by codes that encompass the different forms.

Most searches for individuals are executed using this option. In this case, the given name and surname are converted internally to a "reference code." This is so that, for example, if you are searching for someone with the surname "Dyck", you don't have to know if they spelled it Dyck, Dick, or Dueck, etc. Similarly, you wouldn't need to know if "Ben" was entered as Bernhard, Boris, or Benjamin.

In this case, all of those variations would become "/049be": "049" for the variants of Dyck, and "be" for the variants of Benjamin. The other search options are then added to form the overall search.

In April, 2025, a number of changes were made to the search for individuals that will expand the "net" that is cast. The reason is that people are sometimes known by their middle name or by their nickname. Some have changed their name.

Take a made-up example of an individual with all of these possibilities entered as:
John PETER "Andy" (Wall) Loewen
The standard search would be for John Loewen (/156jo).
The name in all caps designates the name by which the individual is customarily called: Peter Loewen (/156pe). The nickname is in double quotes, and the search would be for Andy Loewen (/156as). If there was a name change, the previous name is placed in parentheses: John Wall (/251jo). Now, for this mythical individual, it would not matter whether you enter "John Loewen," "Peter Loewen," "Andy Loewen," or "John Wall," the right GRanDMA entry will be in the list that is returned.

Prepared for , 4/26/2025 9:57:12 AM

Database: ,

Mennonite Genealogy, Inc.

GRanDMA OnLine website: GMOL v7.5.166;

K. L. Ratzlaff

Lawrence, KS, 11/2000‑4/2025

Database: , Mennonite Genealogy, Inc.

GRanDMA OnLine website: GMOL v7.5.166; K. L. Ratzlaff, Lawrence, KS, 11/2000‑4/2025