How to Perform a Maiden Name Search?
In the past decade, more and more people have become increasingly interested in their family history, with genetic and genealogy tests providing fascinating information about families from all over the country. If you are also interested in building your family tree and you want to find maiden names, there are several ways you can go about your mission. For your family tree or any other purpose, here is how to find someone's maiden name:
Search birth records
The most direct and accurate source for finding maiden names is the birth certificate. To get access to the said woman's birth records, you will need to contact the Vital Records Office in the county where she was born or another agency that maintains birth records. To get a certified copy of the birth records, you will need to file a request with the proper agency, pay for the search, and wait to get the copy.
You can also search for the woman's children's birth records, which contain her maiden name. You can cross-reference census records, and find a maiden name with the birth records of other family members.
Search death records
If the woman that you are searching for is deceased, you can get a copy of her death records from the vital records office. If the parents of the deceased woman are listed on her death record, you can find her maiden name.
Search land records
In the past, land deeds were sometimes transferred to widowed women after their husbands died. On those records appeared the maiden names of the widows (not always), so you can find a maiden name by searching for land records.
Use a people search engine
The quickest way to find someone's maiden name is to perform an online search, which you can do with a people search site, like ProPeopleSearch.com. How is it possible? because many records, like birth records, marriage records, death records, and divorce records are public records. So, you can get access to such records with a professional people search directory, like the one available to you on ProPeopleSearch.
How can you perform the search? you will need to enter the first name, last name, and state of residence of the woman in question. Once you provide the necessary details, ProPeopleSearch will begin to scan billions of public records in search of the records that are registered to the name of the woman that you are searching for.
The query is complete within minutes, and once it is over, you will receive an online report about the woman in question, including access to her birth and marriage records.
Search cemetery records
If the woman that you are searching for is deceased and you know where she is buried or have access to her death records, you can perform a cemetery records search to find her maiden name. Also, you can visit the cemetery and check the woman's tombstone. In many cases, the names of the parents of deceased individuals are carved into tombstones, so you are able to directly see a maiden name on a tombstone.
Research old newspapers
Newspapers in the past and in the present contain marriage announcements and obituaries, so you can use them to find a maiden name. If you know what year the woman in question died, you can search for old newspapers on microfilm or online, and see her obituary notice or marriage announcement. You can also search for her family member's obituary notices (parent and siblings) and discover her maiden name from old newspapers.
Finding a maiden name can help you discover your ancestry or get more information about women from your family, and other women as well. There are several ways to find a maiden name, and with an online or offline search, you can discover maiden names and get the answers that you are searching for.