I see Unknown in the household list for a United States Census

Article Id: 24134
October 17, 2024
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Before you start

Most often, the problem occurs because the indexed data has identified every person on the page as the Primary person in the household.

Determine whether the problem record is one that allows you to edit relationships. Start on the record details page (the page that shows the indexed data).

  • At the top, click Edit.
  • If Edit is grayed out, you cannot edit the record index.
  • When you click Edit, if you see a box with some of the indexed fields and additional Edit buttons, you cannot edit relationships.
  • When you click Edit, if you see the census image and the indexed data to the right of the image, you can fix the relationships. Continue with the steps.

Steps (website or mobile Tree app)

Note: If you use the mobile app on a cell phone, you see the indexed data below the image, rather than to the right.

  1. Navigate to the record details page for a person in the household.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. On the right panel, you see the indexed data for the person. At the top of the panel, click the back arrow.
  4. You now see the entire image index. In the image index, find the household that you want to fix.
  5. Above each name, if you see Census | Primary, continue with step 6. Otherwise, see the Related articles list for other ways to correct relationships.
  6. Do not edit the person who shows in the image as Head (or the first name in a household list). For example, on the image, you see a Head, a wife, a son, and 2 daughters. Leave the entry for the Head alone.
  7. In the image index, click the name of a person, such as a spouse or child.
  8. Now the right panel shows the indexed information for the person. To the right of Essential Information, click the pencil icon.
  9. At the top, find Primary Name. Click in the circle beside No.
  10. At the bottom of the panel, click Save.
  11. Repeat steps 7–10 for the rest of the household.
  12. At the top of the right panel, click the back arrow.

Now you can add the relationships to the Primary person.

How do I correct relationships in the transcription of a historical record?
Correct or add a relationship when a name is on a different image in the historical record
Move a name to the correct relationship in historical records

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