The following six Soundex steps use as an example the 1880 census records of Levi Cook of
Pennsylvania. These steps are coding the surname; finding the Soundex microfilm publication
and roll reproducing cards with the code range; identifying the Soundex card; using the Soundex
data to find the schedule on microfilm; locating the ED, sheet, and line numbers on the schedule;
and copying or recording the data.
These steps also apply to the 1900, 1910, and 1920 Soundexes and the 1910 variation known as
Miracode. The major limitation of the 1880 Soundex is that it uses Family Cards and Other
Members of Family--Continued Cards only for those families with a child or children aged 10 or
under. The 1880 Individual Cards, moreover, pertain only to children within this age range, not
to adults. Soundexes for all censuses, except the 1910 Miracode, also include Institution
Cards.
To use Soundex, researchers must first code the surname of the person or family in which they
are interested. Every Soundex code consists of a letter and three numbers, such as B-536,
representing names such as Bender. The letter is always the first letter of the surname, whether it
is a vowel or a consonant.
Disregard the remaining vowels (A, E, I, O, and U) as well as W, Y, and H. Assign numbers to
the next three consonants of the surname according to the coding guide included in table 1, but
note the exceptions discussed later. Disregard any remaining consonants. If there are not three
consonants following the initial letter, use zeroes to complete the three-digit code. A name
yielding no code number, such as Lee, would thus be L-000. A name with only one code
number, such as Cook, would be C-200. Further discussion will use this name and code as
examples.
Most surnames can be coded using the guide. The next discussions explain exceptions.
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 Represents the letters
1 B, P, F, V
2 C, S, K, G, J, Q, X, Z
3 D, T
4 L
5 M, N
6 R
Prefixes
If the surname has a prefix, such as D', De, dela, Di, du, Le, van, or Von, code it both with and
without the prefix because it might be listed under either code. The surname vanDevanter, for
example, could be V-531 or D-153. Mc and Mac are not considered to be prefixes and should be
coded like other surnames.
Double Letters
If the surname has any double letters, they should be treated as one letter. Thus, in the surname
Lloyd, the second l should be crossed out. In the surname Gutierrez, the second r should be
disregarded.
Side-by-Side Letters
A surname may have different side-by-side letters that receive the same number on the Soundex
coding guide. For example, the c, k, and s in Jackson all receive a number 2 code. These letters
with the same code should be treated as only one letter. In the name Jackson, the k and s should
be disregarded. This rule also applies to the first letter of a surname, even though it is not coded.
For example, Pf in Pfister would receive a number 1 code for both the P and f. Thus in this name
the letter f should be crossed out, and the code is P-236.
American Indian and Asian Names
A phonetically spelled American Indian or Asian name was sometimes coded as if it were one
continuous name. If a distinguishable surname was given, the name may have been coded in the
normal manner. For example, Dances with Wolves might have been coded as Dances (D-522) or
as Wolves (W-412), or the name Shinka-Wa-Sa may have been coded as Shinka (S-520) or Sa
(S-000).
If Soundex cards do not yield expected results, researchers should consider other surname
spellings or variations on coding names.
Female Religious Figures
Nuns or other female religious figures with names such as Sister Veronica may have been
members of households or heads of households or institutions where a child or children age 10 or
under resided. Because many of these religious figures do not use a surname, the Soundexes for
the post-1880 censuses frequently use the code S-236, for Sister, whether or not a surname exists.
So far as can be determined, though, the Soundex for the 1880 census does not use the code
S-236 for this purpose.
Because of the limitations of the 1880 Soundex, the number of cards mentioning a nun or
comparable person is likely to be very small. If this person was the head of a household or
institution with children, indexers may have coded the head's surname. If no surname existed, the
indexers may have used the Not Reported (NR) surname option discussed later. In either case, if
the household or institution headed by a female religious figure included a child under 10, the
researcher also can code the child's surname and seek an Individual Card. No Individual Card,
though, applies to a nun or any other person 10 years or older.
Single-Term Names
In 1880 many individuals, especially in Alaska or areas with many Native Americans, may have
used only a single-term name such as Loksi or Hiawatha. Perhaps not until the 1900s did their
descendants use a surname. Some researchers, therefore, may need to code a single-term name as
though it was a surname. If this rule applies to the head of a family and other family members
have different names, Individual Cards will also pertain to those members age 10 or
younger.
TABLE 2: EXAMPLES OF SOUNDEX CODING
Name Letters Coded Coding
Allricht l, r, c A-462
Eberhard b, r, r E-166
Engebrethson n, g, b E-521
Heimbach m, b, c H-512
Hanselmann n, s, l H-524
Henzelmann n, z, l H-524
Hildebrand l, d, b H-431
Kavanagh v, n, g K-152
Lind, Van n, d L-530
Lukaschowsky k, s, s L-222
McDonnell c, d, n M-235
McGee c M-200
O'Brien b, r, n O-165
Opnian p, n, n O-155
Oppenheimer p, n, m O-155
Riedemanas d, m, n R-355
Zita t Z-300
Zitzmeinn t, z, m Z-325
After coding surnames, the indexers recorded them, along with other data, on small cards that are
reproduced on 2,367 microfilm rolls listed in this catalog, which alphabetically lists the states,
District of Columbia, and territories and specifies a separate Soundex microfilm publication for
each. After coding a surname, therefore, researchers must know or speculate where a family,
person, or institution was located in 1880.
In the roll lists, the Soundex codes are arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the surnames,
and then the numbers derived from the coding guide are arranged consecutively. Table 3, Sample
List of Soundex Rolls, shows this arrangement for the first few rolls for Pennsylvania. In this
table, key features discussed below appear inside brackets.
TABLE 3: SAMPLE LIST OF SOUNDEX ROLLS
Pennsylvania. T769. [State name and microfilm publication] [Microfilm
rolls/Soundex codes for surnames]
1. A-000 thru A-351
2. A-352 thru A-450 (K) [First initials within parentheses]
.
.
.
14. B-600 thru B-620 (J)
15. B-620 (J) thru B-624
16. B-625 thru B-630
17. B-631 thru B-640 (F)
18. B-640 (G) thru B-650 (Q)
19. B-650 (R) thru B-652
20. B-653 thru B-666
21. C-000 thru C-200 (I)
22. C-200 (J) thru C-316 [Code range for Cook, Levi]
Researchers should match their Soundex code with a range specified in the catalog. Table 3
references the code C-200, which applies to Cook and similar surnames. Rolls 21 and 22 include
cards with this code.
Often a microfilm roll does not have sufficient space for all cards with the same codes, and some
cards must appear on the next roll. In the Soundex listings, large capital letters within
parentheses indicate a break in the cards. A letter within parentheses at the far right of a roll
listing indicates that the last card on the roll is for a person whose first initial was that letter. The
letter after the first code of the next roll is the initial of the person listed on the first card.
For example, roll 21 of Pennsylvania's Soundex ends with C-200, with the letter (I) representing
the first initial of a given name or middle name. Roll 22 continues with the code C-200, starting
with the initial (J). Hence, a search for a Soundex card for Levi Cook should begin with roll 22
of T769.
Sometimes, as with rolls 14 and 15 of T769, cards with a particular code and initial may be so
numerous or have been filmed in such a manner that the researcher needs to consult more than
one microfilm roll. The same situation can occur if mixed codes exist. This problem is discussed
later.
The Soundex microfilm rolls for the 1880 and later censuses include four different kinds of
cards: Family Cards, Other Members of Family--Continued Cards, Individual Cards, and
Institution Cards. On the microfilm rolls, divider cards with large handwritten data usually note
the beginning of a new Soundex code. Soundex cards then appear.
Below the coded surname at the top left of the card, the surname and then first name of the head
of the family ordinarily appear as recorded on the schedule, which did not require a middle name
or initial. Surnames on the cards are seldom arranged alphabetically, since Soundex coding
largely serves this purpose, but first names ordinarily are arranged alphabetically.
Researchers should find the card or cards with information that best matches their knowledge of
the person or family being studied, including such factors as color, age, birthplace, and address.
The appendix to this introduction, Abbreviations and Terms Used in Soundex Cards, is
applicable to the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 Soundex. It can help researchers determine the
relationships of persons to the head of the family and thus facilitate a search for the correct card.
This information appears on the Soundex cards, except the Institution Cards, in the column or on
the line entitled "Relationship." For example, a "W" following Mary Cook's name means that
she was Levi Cook's wife. An "S" designates Ervin Cook and William Cook as Levi Cook's
sons.
Researchers can record information from a Family Card and then proceed to research step 4:
finding the microfilm roll with the census schedule. The most important information to record is:
state or territory; volume, ED, sheet, and line numbers; county, city, and MCD.
Part or all of the jurisdictional data and frequently the sheet number are essential for the fourth
research step. For example, key data on Levi Cook's card is Pennsylvania; volume 82, ED 21,
sheet 8, line 15; and Somerset County, Shade [Township]. The volume number, sheet number,
and line number noted on the Soundex card are pertinent to the fifth step: locating the schedules
on the microfilm roll.
Intervening Problems
Many researchers may be able to proceed to step 4 without difficulty, but some persons may
encounter problems that warrant discussion here.
Other Soundex Cards
Frequently, if families include more than six members, the Family Card is followed by a related
card. The related card in Levi cook's case lists Susanna Cook, Levi Cook's youngest daughter.
For very large families, more than one of these cards may appear. Handwritten numbers at the
bottom of the cards refer to the first card (e.g., "#2, see #1").
Although the continuation card notes the name of the head of family and name, relationship, age,
and birthplace of the other family member, this card excludes other personal information such as
color and sex. It also omits most jurisdictional data found on the Family Card such as the county,
city, MCD, and ED. The researcher must use this data from the Family Card to proceed to the
next step.
Some researchers may need to search for a third kind of Soundex card, an Individual Card. This
card contains data only on a child age 10 or under who (1) had a surname different from the head
of family, or who (2) was not an immediate member f a family (e.g., stepson or nephew), or
who (3) resided in an institution without a family. For the first two purposes, the Individual Card
duplicates part of the information on a Family Card, cross-references a census schedule, and thus
facilitates a search for schedules. For the third purpose, the Individual Card ordinarily is the only
card referencing a particular child. In any case, researchers should record data from the
Individual Card onto the facsimile and proceed to step 4.
Some researchers who cannot find a person listed on the first three kinds of Soundex cards may
want to consider the fourth kind of card, an Institution Card. Institution Cards appear at the end
of the last roll of Soundex microfilm for a state or territory. For example, roll 168 of
Pennsylvania's Soundex includes "Y-630 thru Institutions."
The Institution Cards, unlike the three other Soundex cards, are alphabetically arranged, not
phonetically coded, by the first name of the institution. The first Institution Card to appear in roll
168 names an institution whose name began with A--Adams County, PA, Poorhouse. The
Institution Cards exclude personal data on individuals and, at most, may note only the number of
inhabitants.
Institution Cards include jurisdictional data necessary to find the correct census schedules (e.g.,
state, county, city, and ED). Street and house numbers also often appear on the cards. The cards
exclude a printed heading for MCDs, but some indexers inserted this information on the line for
city. Also, the cards have no caption for line numbers pertinent to the schedules, but some
indexers inserted this information near the line for sheet number.
Knowing or suspecting that an individual lived in an institution, a researcher can easily find the
schedule using an Institution Card without looking at other kinds of cards. In a single microfilm
publication, moreover, these cards can help historians, economists, and other researchers obtain
information about institutions for an entire state or territory.
Not-Reported Data
A few features in the arrangement of Soundex cards also may pose research problems. For
example, after the coded surnames and full surnames, most of these cards include alphabetized
given names. Occasionally, though, some persons gave the enumerator only a surname, without
any given or middle name, or the indexer may have found this information missing or illegible.
Under these circumstances, Not Reported (NR) or a blank can appear on a card after a surname.
Cards with this NR feature appear first within a code.
On census schedules, after the surname, some enumerators may have recorded only initials for a
person or an initial before the middle name. Such cards are arranged alphabetically and may
appear after those with the NR-first name. They ordinarily precede cards with full names bearing
the same first letter.
The indexers may also have encountered an NR surname, with or without a given name and
initials. Cards with an NR surname for the head of family are on the last Soundex roll for a state
or territory, usually before the Institution Cards. Roll 34 of California's Soundex (T737) states
"Not Reported thru Institutions," but most roll listings in this catalog do not reference this
feature.
The NR-surname cards may include enough personal information such as color, sex, age, street,
and house number to identify a person. Some cards also list members of the family or household
by surname and may include an indexer's remarks about possible relationships. Especially in the
latter situation, these cards may help a researcher identify a person and justify a search of the
schedule.
Mixed Codes
Another frequent Soundex problem is "mixed codes," which means that codes on the cards may
appear in random, nonconsecutive order; e.g., M-200 is followed by M-190, M-205, and then by
M-189. In these instances, which divider cards usually note, researchers should disregard the
codes and focus on the alphabetized given names and initials or other arrangements discussed
earlier. In some instances, mixed codes may require that the researcher consult more than one
microfilm roll.
If researchers exhaust all these options and still cannot find a pertinent Soundex card, again, it is
advisable to try various spellings of the surname and new codings. Another option is to explore
ED descriptions and maps, which are discussed later.
After researchers record pertinent data from an 1880 Soundex card, they should consult the
portion of this catalog that pertains to "Tenth Census of the United States, 1880" (T9). The
1,454 rolls reproduce the 1880 schedules that the Soundex indexes.
This catalog alphabetically lists the states, District of Columbia, and territories; references the
microfilm rolls at the far left; and then describes their coverage. The arrangement first cites the
names of counties, which usually are in alphabetical order. Names of cities often appear
separately from counties. Roll 1188, for example, covers part of the city of Philadelphia. Within
cities or large urban areas, MCDs such as wards may be numbered and then usually listed in
consecutive order.
Within counties, cities, or MCDs, EDs are the next most important data that the catalog notes,
often in numerical order. In T9, for example, rolls 1190-1194 pertain to Pennsylvania's
Schuylkill County, EDs 1-238. In many instances, the catalog notes that rolls include certain
sheets for an ED or other jurisdiction.
Researchers should match the county, city, MCD, ED, and sheet number listed on the Soundex
card with the information or range provided in the catalog. The number to the left of this
information designates the microfilm roll number that reproduces the pertinent schedule.
At the beginning of a microfilm roll, a large handwritten number such as "T9, 1195" ordinarily
confirms that the researcher is viewing the 1880 microfilm publication and the correct roll
selected from the catalog entries. Next, a volume page indicates the coverage of the schedules.
Some microfilm rolls may have additional volume pages throughout the roll.
In some cases, volume pages may record inaccurate information about EDs or other jurisdictions.
The researcher may need to carefully scan the roll preceding or following the one that seems
correct. After the volume page, the schedules should be arranged in the order stated in the
catalog.
The 1880 schedule consists of four sides. A large printed A and C usually appear on the front
side; a B and D, on the back. Enumerators usually recorded the names of the city, county, and
state and the number or name of the ward or other MCD only on the front of the schedule, not on
the back. Handwritten ED numbers are on the upper left side, on the third line, under the line
marked "Supervisor's District."
The researcher should next match the sheet number recorded on the Soundex card with the page
number on the first line of the upper left side of the schedule. On the card for Levi Cook, for
example, the sheet number is 9, which corresponds to that on the census schedule. The
handwritten numbers on the schedules ordinarily start at 1 in each ED and continue consecutively
on each sheet, A-D. Disregard the stamped numbers usually at the right side of the schedules.
These numbers ordinarily start at the beginning of a volume and continue consecutively through
all EDs, appearing on every other sheet.
Both sides of the 1880 schedules list lines 1-50 for enumerating persons. Researchers should use
the line number shown on the Soundex card to complete the search for the family, individual, or
institution covered by the Soundex card. For example, the Soundex card for Levi Cook notes line
15, and Levi Cook's entry appears on line 15 of the census schedule.
After researchers find the correct schedule, they can transcribe the data or make reproductions of
the schedule on microfilm copier machines. For a small fee, the National Archives also formally
certifies its census records.