Now how do you spell that?

One of the first things we, as genealogists, need to learn is that our ancestors’ names were not always spelled correctly, and you may even find the same person’s name spelled several different ways in the same document. The spelling of some names have only “recently” been standardized. Not everyone could spell his or her own name, and not all clerks could spell either! Regional pronunciations might alter a person’s name, or an individual might change it to adapt to surrounding population or for simplicity. These variations may, or may not lead to lasting changes, and may not be an instantaneous or single change. It may take several generations, and the advent of modern record keeping, before a name becomes permanent.