One of the biggest challenges in genealogy is the pursuit of female ancestors. This is because the females were so often absorbed into their husband’s families (assuming they got married), taking on their husband’s surnames, and losing their original identities in historical documents. You will often find a mention of a female ancestor in a historical document, but more often than not, she is referred to using only her first name or her first and married name. Too often, the maiden name is seemingly lost. While in some cases, it really may be lost, this usually is not the case. If you do your research right, you can uncover the maiden names and make the correct connections to your female ancestors’ families of origin. In doing so, you discover entire new branches of your family and learn more about your own origins.
Here are some techniques you can use to find those elusive female ancestors...