* Given Name showing as Surname

[Keithj]

I suspect it's an old problem from a prior software package, but I'm seeing numerous examples of a strange muddling of Given names and Surnames in cases where the individual Surname is not (yet) known.

For example: I have a lady known as Mary Ann, surname N/A. Up to now, I have left surnames blank for such folk and not had a problem. Eventually, I find the surname for most of them. However, when I exported the FH6 GED file to Heredis on my iPad ready for a session at the local Record Office next week, she has transmogrified in Heredis into Mary ANN (Given Mary, Surname ANN).

Heredis appends UNKNOWN as the surname for any who are missing one, whereas FH shows them at the top of the Individuals list.

The FH6 entry for her is interesting, since it seems to support both interpretations:



The GED matches that (GIVN Mary, SURN Ann, but NAME Mary Ann //).

I have several more like that, and a goodly crop of Elizabeths who show as Elizabeth // but then are SURN Elizabeth in the GED file. Ditto Mary, Anne, and many other popular girls' names.

I can fix the problem (if problem it is) with Notepad and the GED file, but I wonder if there's a quicker, easier way.

[tatewise]

Unfortunately, despite the GEDCOM Standard Release 5.5 existing for nearly 20 years its implementation is still poor with many dialects.

If you want to improve GEDCOM exports to other products then I advise you use the Export Gedcom File Plugin.
It has preconfigured settings for many products including Heredis 2014/2015.

There can be conflicts in the GEDCOM data for various fields and the name fields you illustrate is a good example.

Which is correct?
The NAME field says Mary Ann // which means Given names are Mary Ann and Surname is blank.
But the subsidiary GIVN and SURN fields contradict that.

FH does NOT offer the GIVN and SURN fields in its Names/Titles dialogue, and generally ignores them.
However, they are still supported via the All tab, Queries, etc, because FH offers 100% GEDCOM support.
So those GIVN and SURN fields must have been imported from another product.

Heredis on the other hand, gives GIVN and SURN fields precedence over the main NAME field.
The Export Gedcom File Plugin counteracts that.

The quick way to remove all such GIVN and SURN fields is to use a Custom Query.
Use View > Query Window and in its toolbar use right-hand Query Menu > New Custom Query.
Set Query Name to say Individual Name Fields, ensure Query Type is Individual, and click Create.
In the Columns tab on the left-hand Fields pane expand Name by clicking its [+].
Select Given and click > button in middle to add to Columns.
Similarly, select Surname and click > to add to Columns.
Now run the Query by using its toolbar left-hand triangular Run Query icon to update the Result Set tab.
Select the entire Name Given column and hit the Delete key to remove all entries.
Repeat similarly for Name Surname column.

[Keithj]

Thanks, Mike. That explains it. Isn't this GEDCOM linguistics fun!

I'm not going to worry too much for this session, since FH6 gets it right.
I'll have a go at a Custom Query later, but may do it with the tactic that I know well - PFE32 to edit the .GED file, and delete any lines with # SURN Elizabeth (etc).

The important part is that FH6 ignores GIVN and SURN.

[Keithj]

... and the plugin worked perfectly! I now have a clean and logical Heredis file on the iPad ready for next week. Many thanks!