Soundex/Miracode Indexing System

In order to use the census Soundex/Miracode system, you must know the ancestor's full name, state or territory, in which he or she lived at the time of the census. You must also take into account that the census was not taken at the same time in each state. Some states took the census in the spring time, while others took it during the summer months. It is also helpful to know the full name of the Head Of The Household in which the person lived because census takers recorded information under that name.

The Soundex/Miracode Index is based on the way a coded surname (last name) sounds rather than the way it is spelled. Surnames that sound the same, but are spelled differently, like SMITH and SMYTH, will have the same code and are filed together. The Soundex/Miracode code system was developed so that you can find a surname even though it may have been recorded under various spellings. To search for a particular surname, you must first work out the code.

Every Soundex/Miracode system code consists of a letter and three numbers, such as W-252. The letter is always the first letter of the surname. Numbers are assigned to the remaining letters of the surname according to the Soundex/Miracode guide, the letters A,E,H,I,O,U,W,Y, are disregarded. Zeros are added at the end if necessary to produce a four-character code. Additional letters are also disregarded. The following example will illustrate this:

Washington is coded W-252. W, 2 for the S, 5 for the N, 2 for the G, and the remaining letters are disregarded.

The Soundex/Miracode Coding Guide is broken down in the following manner. Note the number represents letters:

1 represents B, F, P, V.

2 represents C,G,J,K, Q, S, X, Z.

3 represents D,T.

4 represents L.

5 represents M,N.

6 represents R

The letters A,E,H,I,O,U, W,Y are disregarded. The first letter of a surname is not numerically coded. Every Soundex/Miracode identification code symbol must be a 3-digit number following the surname letter.. A name yielding no code numbers, such as Lee would thus be L000; a name yielding only a single code number would have two zeros added, as Kuhne, coded as K500; and one yielding two code numbers would have one zero added, as Ebell, coded as E140. No more than three digits are used, so Ebelson would be coded as E142, not E1425.

If a surname has any double letters, treat them as one letter. For example: Gutierrez is coded G-362. G, 3 for the T, 6 for the first R, second R ignored, 2 for the Z.

If a surname has different letters side-by-side that have the same number in the Soundex coding guide, they should be treated as one letter. The names Pfister and Jackson are two good examples: Pfister is coded as P-236. P, F ignored, 2 for the S, 3 for the T, 6 for the R. Jackson is coded as J-250. J, 2 for the C, K ignored, S ignored, 5 for the N, 0 added.

If a surname has a prefix, such as Van, Con, De, Di, La, or Le, code both with and without

the prefix because the surname might be listed under either code. Please note however, that Mc and Mac are never considered prefixes. For example, VanDeusen might be coded two different ways V-532. V, 5 for N, 3 for D, 2 for S or D-250 D, 2 for the S, 5 for the N, 0 added.

The following names are examples of Soundex/Miracode Index coding:

Name Letters Coded Code No.

Allricht L,R,C A 462

Eberhard B,R,R E 166

Engeberethson N,G,B E 521

Hanselmann N,S,L H 524

Henzelmann N,Z,L H 524

Heimbach M,B,C H 512

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'Brian B,R,N O 165

Opnian P,N,N O 155

Oppenheimer P,N,M O 155

Reidemanas D,M,N R 355

Zita T Z 300

Zitzmeinn T,Z,M Z 325

Native Americans, Orientals, Religious Nuns

Researchers using the Soundex/Miracode system to locate religious nuns, persons with American Indian or oriental names should be aware of the way such names were coded. Variations in coding differed from the normal coding system. Phonetically spelled oriental or Indian names were sometimes coded as if one continuous name, or, if a distinguishable surname was given, the names were coded in the normal manner. For example: the American Indian name Shinka-Wa-Sa may have been coded as Shinka (S-520) or Sa (S000). Researchers should investigate the various possibilities of coding such names. Religious nun names were coded as if Sister was their surname, and they appear in each State's Soundex/Miracode under the code S-236. Within the State's Soundex/Miracode S236, the names may or may not be in any alphabetical order.

Once you have located your ancestor within the Soundex/Miracode Index, look for its Enumeration Number which leads from the index to the family's listing in the census schedule. For the Soundex, this number is distinctly given as volume, enumeration district, page and line numbers. For the Miracode Indexes, a single number is given which is divided into three sections. These are the volume number, enumeration district, and visitation numbers. All numbers are given in the upper right hand corner of the card. The following number sequence would be representative of the Miracode numbering system: 098 0076 0043.

098 stands for the volume number. This is least important because one normally accesses the census schedule by county which is also given on the index card, rather than by using the volume number.

0076 stands for the enumeration district. This number is very critical. If a county covers more than one roll of film, the "ED'S" are given following the name of the county. Find the roll of film containing the "ED" of interest. On the census schedule itself, the "ED" is given in the upper right hand corner of each page. Turn to the section containing the appropriate "ED".

0043 stands for the visitation number (for Miracode Indexes). This number is given in the third column from the left on the census schedule. Find this and you will find your family of interest.

Page and Line Numbers (for Soundex Indexes). Page numbers are given in the upper right hand corner of each page. Find this number, then count down the appropriate number of lines on the page and you will find the family of interest.

The LDS Family History Center is your local contact for access to the Soundex. The Family History Center is located at 3105 Broadway, Ft. Myers, Florida 33901. Their telephone number is 941-275-0001. Current hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 9am-4pm. Elder Richard Lewis is the library director. He is assisted by Elder Putz. Patrons are advised to call in advance. Because of the large number of genealogists using the facility on a daily basis, reservations are required for the use of some materials and equipment. Staff and volunteers are quite proficient in assisting patrons with a wide variety of genealogical questions and services. Copying facilities and loan services are available.

Directions: Take Broadway south to Moreno. Turn left onto Moreno Avenue, then left into the rear church parking lot area. The Family History Center has a sign showing the entrance door. If you are coming from south Fort Myers or from Cape Coral, take Highway 41 (Cleveland Avenue) north to the Village Inn Restaurant. Go one block north, turn right on Braman Avenue. Braman will lead directly to the church lot. The entrance to the Family History Center is on the Moreno Avenue side of the building.

There are no religious restrictions placed on access to materials in the Family History Center Library. All patrons are welcome to use the Family History Center facilities.

Compiled by Bryan L. Mulcahy, Reference Librarian, Fort Myers-Lee County Library, 1/22/99.