Genealogy and Family History

How to Begin

Choosing a Strategy

• Ancestors and Descendants
• One-Name Study
• Ethnic Research
• Finished Product

One-Name Study

A One-Name Study is a formal investigation and documentation of all occurrences of one surname and its variants, whenever and wherever those occurred.

The beginning genealogist generally does not set out to do a one-name study. If, however, you have a rare name you are attempting to document fully, or if you have worked at genealogy for a while and wish to enlarge your field of research, then a one-name study may be for you.

A complete explanation of this type of genealogical research, along with suggestions for how to begin, is found on the website Guild of One-Name Studies [/www.one-name.org/]. Read more about what is involved and look at a few documented one-name studies before choosing this type of research. Even if you are not doing a one-name study, you could have the opportunity to exchange information with researchers who are working on one-name studies. The principles are the same; only the focus differs.