Family Historian User Group

This is an odd one, even for me. For some reason, an individual I recently entered into my database via Ancestral Sources (she was the informant on a death registration), Mary Ann Abbott, appears in the Individuals list as Ann, Abbott, Mary. Yet if I look at the property box, she appears properly as Abbott, Mary Ann. The only thing I can think is I did something wrong when creating her in AS. How can I fix this?

I think the extra comma between Mary and Ann is causing your problem. Looking at others in your list with two forenames, you don’t use a Comma!
Try /Abbott/ Mary Ann, FH recognizes that the two //‘s enclose the sirname.
For example if I know Peter Baker’s wife is Mary, but don’t know her maiden name, I enter her as Mary /Baker Nee ??/, if I don’t use the //s, FH regards ‘Nee ??’ as the surname and she gets sorted wrongly

Just to add to Mike's answer... I suspect you've entered the name in AS as Abbott, Mary Ann whereas it should have been entered as Mary Ann Abbott. AS would then put the // around Abbott on the assumption that Abbott is the given name surname (which would be correct in this case).

... And another addition to the previous two answers: you said "if I look at the property box, she appears properly as Abbott, Mary Ann". But she doesn't appear properly in the Property box because she ought to appear there as Mary Ann Abbot (unless you have changed the default display in the Name field of the Property box ). Nick's explanation is consistent with what you see in the Property box.

... except that Nick said 'given name' when he meant 'surname'.

Teresa, click the more (+)... link on the right of the Name box and check where the / surname / delimeters are positioned ~ should be Mary Ann /Abbott/

I suspect you are being confused by the Records Window list that is always shown Surname first.
IMO displaying the Surname in UPPER CASE makes things much clearer. See Tools > Preferences > General near the top.

tatewise wrote: ↑

28 Apr 2023 10:36

... except that Nick said 'given name' when he meant 'surname'.

Yes quite right I did - that's what happens when I answer questions before I have my first coffee of the day

Thanks, everyone - Nick had it right - I entered her in AS as Abbott, Mary Ann. The librarian in me still always thinks last name, first name. All fixed now

Appreciate all the input!! Learned something as always.