Help with Full Name Review

Article Id: 23980
June 05, 2025
Share

With Full Name Review, your task is to compare the name in a historical document with the name that the computer transcribed. The two names should be exactly the same. If you see a mistake in the transcription, you can correct it.

This simple contribution makes it possible for someone else to find the ancestor during a record search.

Steps (website)

  1. Sign in to the FamilySearch website.
  2. At the top of the page, click Get Involved.
  3. From the drop-down menu, click Opportunities.
  4. Scroll to the section titled Full Name Review, and click Get Started.
  5. Choose a specific Country or Location. If you choose the United States, you will also need to choose a specific State.
  6. More options (these are optional and can both be selected if desired):
    • Last Name: Click this to review records with a specific last name.
    • Specific Place: Click this to review records from a specific place.
  7. Click Search.

Review the highlighted areas in the following steps:

  1. Is this person’s full name highlighted?
    1. Look in the document and decide if a complete name has been correctly highlighted.
    2. If everything appears correct, click Yes (the activity will skip to Step 3, below).
    3. If part of the name is missing a highlight, or if a word that isn’t a name is highlighted, click No.
    4. If you are unsure, click Unsure to skip to a different name.
  2. Add or remove highlights to complete this person’s full name:
    1. To add a highlight, click on the name you want to add. You can drag the highlight or adjust the width of the highlight if necessary. Once it is positioned correctly, click Attach.
    2. To remove a highlight, click the highlight and then click Detach.
    3. Continue adding or removing highlights until only the complete name is highlighted.
    4. When you are ready, click Next.
  3. Drag the name parts to the correct label and order:
    1. Look at the column of names in the transcription pane on the right side of the screen.
    2. Decide if the computer has organized the name correctly. Click in the text box to see which highlight it belongs to. If everything looks correct, click Next.
    3. Correct any names that were organized incorrectly:
      1. To reorder name fields, click and hold the blue rectangle next to the name field and drag it to the correct position in the name column.
      2. If two names are in one field, separate them into individual name fields. Click the text box to see a blue highlight indicating which name is attached. Confirm the highlight matches the name.
      3. To add or remove a name field, including prefixes and suffixes like “Mrs.,” “Mr.,” and “Jr.,” click Add or Remove Fields.
        1. To add a new name field, click on the type of name field you need to add.
        2. To remove a name field, click the x on the right side of the name field type.
      4. Click Update to close the Add or Remove Fields window.
    4. When the names in the column are correct, click Next.
  4. Correct the spelling of each part of this person’s name:
    1. Look at the name in the transcription pane and compare it with the name in the document.
    2. If you see a mistake anywhere in the transcription, go ahead and correct it.
    3. Click Done.

If you do not see a review opportunity that interests you, please check back in a few weeks or months. We may have new records to share with you.

Help with Quick Name Review
How do I correct transcription errors in historical records?
Where can I see how many names I have indexed or reviewed?

Was this helpful?