9 Simple Tips on How to Strategize Danish Genealogy
You have Danish ancestry and you’re wondering where to start, right? It’s always good to have a plan or strategy each time you take on a new project. We call this a genealogy plan. So here are a few tips on what to remember before you begin your Danish genealogy.
Search Other Family Trees First
Other people have gone before you with this same ancestor. So see if they’ve done a lot of the researching for you and then double check their work. If it’s not sourced, then don’t use it. Pretend it is wrong until you prove it right. And then you source that work. Ancestry.com and Family Search.org are the two main family tree websites that I use, but MyHeritage.com and FindMyPast.com are also excellent places for family trees.
Search for One Generation at a Time
It’s so tempting for us to want to jump around generations when we find a juicy piece of information. Don’t fall for it! You’ll end up confusing yourself and losing your place. It’s just not worth it! So stay with one generation until you’ve exhausted all of your research possibilities.
Search for the Ancestor’s Entire Family
Again, this is another place where it’s tempting to just do your direct line ancestor. But, what if you can’t find your direct line? That’s where the siblings can help you break through that brick wall. So don’t forget that your ancestor is not an only child unless proven otherwise.
Search Each Danish Genealogy Record Thoroughly
Church records hold more than just the vital information. They tell you relationship information, occupation, marital status, birth order, residence, etc. So take the time to see every detail and record it for future questions you may have.
Search a Broad Time Period
Remember to first narrow your time period to possibly find your ancestor faster. But if that doesn’t work, broaden it by five to ten years for your best chances at finding them. This tip works especially when you’ve found multiple documents with different birth years or marriage years, etc.
Look for Indexes with Danish Genealogy
Danish records usually have good indexes and searching there first helps you cut down the time it takes to find your ancestor. Just remember that not all indexes are complete and your ancestor may still be in there. You just have to search page by page instead.
Search for All Places of Residence
Finding your Danish ancestor’s place of residence is essential in finding them in Danish records. They use that residence as their address or their identity when you have two people with the same name living in the same town or parish. So sometimes you will see it written in the front of the name, behind the name, or in place of their surname. For example Vikedal Jens, Jens Vikedal, or Jens Jenssen Vikedal.
Watch for Spelling Variations
You probably already know this one if you’ve done any genealogy research. It’s no different with Danish records. They also use abbreviations as well as nicknames. But the thing to watch out for is they’ll put their place of residence with their name as a variation. This will help you distinguish one Danish person from your ancestor.
Record Your Findings
Ever since I’ve used a research log I’ve wondered how I’ve ever lived without it! I share this tip wherever I go because it has changed my researching so much. Recording what you find as you find it is essential with keeping your research moving forward.
Last Thoughts on Danish Genealogy
Do you see how many of these tips can be used for any country or culture that you’re researching? I hope you notice that Danish researching isn’t so intimidating after all. But if you get stuck you know where to reach me!
In the meantime…good luck and happy hunting!
Tiffany
P.S. Related Reads…
danish, Danish church records, Danish National Archives, danish records, tips and tricks
