NORCAL-L Archives

From: Al Martinez <>
Subject: M635 asked What's a Soundex?
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 01:28:26 -0800 (PST)

John,
Another great reply. Yes, it did help a bunch! Hope other readers on
NORCAL-L appreciate the information also - I know I am. There seems to
be no end to the eagerness to assist on the NORCAL list. Thank you
again.
M635

---John Ireland <> wrote:
>
> Al,
> From the National Archives: "First applied in the 1880 census,
Soundex is a
> phonetic index, not a strictly alphabetic one. Its key feature is
that it
> codes surnames (last names) based on the way a name sounds rather
than on
> how it is spelled. For example, surnames that sound the same, like
Smith
> and Smyth, have the same code and are indexed together. The intent
was to
> help researchers find a surname quickly even though it may have
received
> different spellings."
>
> SOUNDEX CODING:
> After retaining the first letter of the surname and disregarding the
next
> letters if they are A, E, I, O, U, W, Y, and H, then:
>
> The number 1 represents: B, P, F, V
> " " 2 " C, S, K, G, J, Q, X, Z
> " " 3 " D, T
> " " 4 " L
> " " 5 " M, N
> " " 6 " R
> There are a few additional rules which cover prefixes, double
letters, and
> side-by-side letters. For a full explanation:
> http://www.familyhistory.com/faqs/narasdex.htm
>
> or to use the Soundex:
> http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/Genea/soundex.sh
>
> Hope that helps.
> John
>
> Al Martinez wrote:
>
> > Hi All,
> > Okay, I've seen it before, now what is it?? What is a
> > soundex??? As in the msg below, "I looked in the 1880 soundex." How
> > does it work?
> > Al Martinez
> > +++++++++++++++++++
> > --- wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > > I looked for an obit for Elliott today & this is what it says:
> > >
> > > Oroville Candy Vendor Passes
> > >
> > > Elliott Dillon, 78, the "candy man," was buried in the county
cemetery
> > > Thursday.
> > > Dillon, who went about the streets selling candy from a tray
> > suspended from
> > > his shoulders, was a well-known figure here for many years. He
died
> > Wednesday
> > > afternoon at the county informary, where he had been an inmate
since
> > 1931.
> > >
> > > This came from the Mercury-Register, Oroville, Calif. Monday
> > Evening,May 10,
> > > 1937
> > >
> > > I looked in the 1880 soundex, & didn't find Elliott, but did find
> > Peter &
> > > Martha. There were several other people living with them.
> > >
> > > Didn't find Elliott in the 1900 soundex either, but found Peter &
> > Margaret
> > > with an adopted dau., Annie, born May 1879 in CA.
> > >
> > > I did not check the 1910 soundex, & don't have access to the 1920
> > census.
> > >
> > > How is this Elliott related to you?
> > >
> > > Shelley
> > >
> > >

==

http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/m/a/r/Alfred-Martinez/index.html

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This thread:

• M635 asked What's a Soundex? by Al Martinez <>