Spellings Can Vary: Three Brothers, Three Spellings

Spellings of last names can vary significantly, even within one document. Avoid getting hung up on minor differences or spelling variations. The important thing to keep in mind is do the spellings sound the same. Even if your ancestor was literate, he might not have been too concerned about whether or not his name was spelled right.

Always be open to spelling variations-like the 1860 census taker apparently was. He spelled Behrens as Barams, Burse, and Barrus (?) on the same census page. behrensbrothers