What's in a name? Exploring suname spellings. Part 2.

This article is the second in a series of three parts intended to provide some general knowledge about genealogy, tracing family history, and introduce the reader to issues involving surname spelling variations and how they can be addressed through the research process.

Why does everyone in your family spell its surname the same way? Just who decided upon the spelling anyway? One of the challenges genealogists and family historians face is getting to the root of the surname they are researching. Simply put, the name you answer to, sign on checks, and pass on to your own children may be considerably different than the spelling your ancestors used centuries ago. So, what