In order to reserve an ancestor's name for temple ordinances, you must first make sure that his or her name has been correctly formatted in Family Tree. If not, you receive a message telling you that more information is needed. Correctly formatting your ancestor's name can be confusing, especially when you only know a portion of the name. Learn what to do when the complete name is unknown.
The tables below provide examples of valid and invalid name formats for temple ordinances.
Table 1: You know the name of the husband, but the wife's name is incomplete.
| Title | First Names | Last Name | Qualifies | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy | Yes | When the maiden name is unknown and blank. | ||
| Mrs.* | Jeff | Frazier | Yes | The name qualifies if the title Mrs. is followed by the name of the husband in the appropriate fields. |
| Clark | Yes | The maiden name of the wife is known, and the first name is unknown. | ||
| Mrs. Jeff Frazier | No | Separate the name into parts. Parts cannot be combined in a field. | ||
| Mrs. Jeff Frazier | No | |||
| Mrs. Jeff | Frazier | No | ||
| Mrs. | Jeff Frazier | No | ||
| Mrs. | No | |||
| Mrs. | No | |||
| Mrs. | Frazier | No |
*Includes Mrs., Mrs, and equivalents in all languages.
Table 2: You know the name of one of the parents, but the daughter's name is incomplete.
| Title | First Names | Last Name | Qualifies | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss* | Donna | Frazier | Yes | This qualifies with a title of Miss |
| Frazier | Yes | When the first name is unknown, do not add a title. | ||
| Miss Donna | Frazier | No | Separate the name into parts. Parts cannot be combined in a field. | |
| Miss Frazier | No | |||
| Miss Frazier | No | |||
| Miss | Frazier | No | A title with no first name is invalid. | |
| Miss | Frazier | No | Miss is not a valid first name. | |
| Miss | No |
*Includes Miss and equivalents in all languages.
Table 3: You know the name of one of the parents, but the son's name is incomplete.
| Title | First Names | Last Name | Qualifies | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mister* | John | Frazier | Yes | This does qualify with a title of Mister. |
| Frazier | Yes | When the first name is unknown, do not add a title. | ||
| Mr. John | Frazier | No | Separate the name into parts. Parts cannot be combined in a field. | |
| Mister Frazier | No | |||
| Mr. Frazier | No | |||
| Mr. | Frazier | No | A title with no first name is invalid. | |
| Mister | Frazier | No | Mister is not a valid first name. | |
| Mr | No |
*Includes Mister, Mr., Mr, and equivalents in all languages.
Note: Be careful that you do not add any words that aren't part of a person's actual name—words like "unnamed," "Mother," "Husband," or "Aunt." These will prevent you from reserving the name and cause you to receive the message asking for more information.
If you enter a question mark instead of a person's name in Family Tree, his or her ordinances show as "Needs more information." No ordinance work can be done until a name is found and entered.
Related articles
What words and abbreviations cause "Needs more information" to appear?
How should I enter names in Family Tree?
In Family Tree, what does "Needs more information" mean?