Hello List,
Some of you including myself, may not know just
exactly how the census soundex is formated.
So here is a copy & paste of some handy information, from the NARA site.
Earl
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The Soundex Indexing System
To use the census soundex to locate information about a person, you must
know his or her full name and the state or territory in which he or she
lived at the time of the census. 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 is a coded surname (last name) index based on the way a
surname sounds rather than the way it is spelled. Surnames that sound
the same, but are spelled differently, like SMITH and SMYTH, have the
same code and are filed together. The soundex coding 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 its code.
NARA's online Soundex Machine can code surnames automatically. If you
wish to understand the process, however, the instructions below should
prove helpful.
Basic Soundex Coding Rule
Every soundex code consists of a letter and three numbers, such as
W-252. The letter is always the first letter of the surname. The numbers
are assigned to the remaining letters of the surname according to the
soundex guide shown below. Zeroes are added at the end if necessary to
produce a four-character code. Additional letters are disregarded.
For example, Washington is coded W-252 (W, 2 for the S, 5 for the N, 2
for the G, remaining letters disregarded).
For example, Lee is coded L-000 (L, 000 added).
Soundex Coding Guide
Number Represents the Letters
1 B, F, P, V
2 C, G, J, K, Q, S, X, Z
3 D, T
4 L
5 M, N
6 R
Disregard the letters A, E, I, O, U, H, W, and Y.
Additional Soundex Coding Rules
Names With Double Letters
If the surname has any double letters, they should be treated 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).
Names with Letters Side-by-Side that have the Same Soundex Code Number
If the surname has different letters side-by-side that have the same
number in the soundex coding guide, they should be treated as one
letter.
For example, Pfister is coded as P-236 (P, F ignored, 2 for the S, 3 for
the T, 6 for the R).
For example, Jackson is coded as J-250 (J, 2 for the C, K ignored, S
ignored, 5 for the N, 0 added).
Names with Prefixes
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. Note, however, that Mc and Mac are not considered
prefixes.
For example, VanDeusen might be coded two 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).
Free Brochure
This essay is based on "Using the Census Soundex," General Information
Leaflet 55 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
Administration, 1995), a free brochure available from inquire(a)nara.gov
(include your name, postal address, and "GIL 55 please").
The Genealogy Page