Additional Soundex Rules

Names with prefixes

If your surname has a prefix - like Van, Von, De, Di, or Le - you should code it both with and without the prefix because it might be listed under either code.
The surname vanDevater, for example, should be coded in two ways shown (Mc and Mac are not considered prefixes).

* = Not to be considered
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Line 1: ..............V_ A*_ N5_ D3_ E*_ V1_ A*_ N_ T_ E*_ R_

Line 2: ..............V_ 5_ 3_ 1_
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Line 1: ..............D_ E*_ V1_ _A*_ N5_ _T3_ E*_ R_

Line 2: .............. D_ 1_ 5_ 3_
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Names with Double Letters

If your surname has any double letters, they should be treated as one letter. Thus, in the surname Lloyd, the second L should be slashed out; in the surname Gutierrez, the second R should be slashed out.

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Line 1: ..............L_ L*_ O_ Y*_ D_

Line 2: .............. L_ 3_ 0_ 0_
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Line 1: ..............G_ U*_ T3_ I*_ E*_ R6_ R*_ E*_ Z2_

Line 2: .............. G_ 3_ 6_ 2_
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Names with letters side that have the same number on the Soundex Coding Guide

Your surname may have different letters that are side by side and have the same number on the Soundex Coding Guide; for example, PF in Pfister (1 is the number for both P and F); CKS in Jackson (2 is the number for C,K, and S). These letters should be treated as one letter. Thus, in the name Pfister, F should be slashed out; in the name Jackson, K and S should be slashed out.

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Line 1: .............. P_ F*_ I*_ S2_ T3_ E*_ R6_

Line 2: .............. P_ 2_ 3_ 6_
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Line 1: ..............J_ A*_ C2_ K*_ S*_ O*_ N5_

Line 2: .............. J_ 2_ 5_ 0_
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Once your ancestor´s name is correctly coded, you are ready to use the microfilmed Soundex card index. This index is organized by state, thereunder by Soundex code, and thereunder alphabetically by the first name or initial of the individual for whom you are searching. After you have located the first name, look for the surname and then the county. When you find the person you´re looking for on the microfilm roll, you´ll discover that the index card displayed on the screen lists quite a bit of information on the individual (although not as much information as contained in the actual census schedules).

It is important to note that the 1880 and 1910 Soundex indexes are not as complete as the 1900 and 1920. For the 1880 census, Soundex entries include only those households containing a child age 10 or under. The Soundex card s you´ll see on the microfilm roll show the name, age and birthplace of each member of such households. There is a separate cross-reference card for each child age 10 or under whose surname differs from that of the head of the household under whom he is listed.

You must know at least your ancestor's full name and state or territory of residence to begin research in the 1900, 1910 or 1920 censuses. It is also helpfull to know the full name of the head of household in wich your ancestor lived because at the turn of the century, as in all U.S. censuses, census takers recorded information under that name. For the 1900 census, there is a complete Soundex Index to all household heads with croos-reference cards for all persons with different surnames. For the 1910 census, there are microfilm Soundex indexes for only these states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississipi, South Carolina, Tenesse and Texas. Another indexing method that is similar to the Soundex system is known as "Miracode". It has been used to develop indexes for Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. There are no indexes for the remaining states and territories.

After you´ve located a person´s name in the Soundex Index, using the Soundex code, you´ll need to copy from the displayed Soundex card the enumeration number, sheet number and line number in order to use the census schedules. The microfilm for the different census schedules is usually organized by census year, state, and county. Many libraries can order any state that you request free of charge from the American Genealogical Lending Library (AGLL).

When viewing census schedules, it is necessary to look first for the state and county. Then you need to go by the enumeration district number (that appeared in the Soundex Index for the particular person), followed by the sheet numer, and finally the line number. Special forms are available for transcribing census information. You can generally get them for a small fee at Latter-day Saints (LDS) branch libraries, historical societies, or places with genealogical research rooms. The forms are different for each census year, and you will want to make several copies of each of them for your use.