Reading · Mission: Genealogy

Map of Washington, Hamilton, Indiana with J. Cloud, Jos. Cloud, and J.G. Cloud. If you are researching men with the same name, you'll want to check out Bonnie Wade Mucia's techniques. — Are **J. Cloud**, **Jos. Cloud**, and **J.B. Cloud** the same man? Probably not, but if you’re researching **J. Cloud** in **Washington, Hamilton, Indiana**, you’ll need to be sure. Detail from the map of Washington Township from History of Hamilton County, Indiana: with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers by Thomas B. Helm (Chicago: Kingman Brothers, 1880), between pages 134 and 135: University Library, Indianapolis Digital Collections.

If you didn’t watch the RootsTech 2026 presentations in March, you can visit the on-demand library and watch them now for free, and don’t forget to download the syllabus.

Same Name Resolution is a common problem we run into as researchers, and Bonnie Wade Mucia explains her techniques to master the problem during her RootsTech presentation, Untangling the Darling Web: Advanced Strategies for Same-Name Identity Resolution.

She starts with creating a research question. “It limits the scope to a manageable, testable identity problem.” Then she focuses on one person at a time “using time, place, and known associations, not just by name.” Using that information, she creates an identity profile. (See the syllabus for details.) I highly recommend viewing the presentation and mastering the strategies.

Why should we all have to learn the hard way? Please share what you’ve learned. Email me at YourFamilyQuest@gmail.com

Sunday, 2 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Livestream

Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 10 am/1 pm (PDT/EDT) Mission: Genealogy Atlantic Gathering

Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 4 pm/7 pm (PDT/EDT) Mission: Genealogy Pacific Gathering

Same Name Resolution

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