It’s not always possible or practical, but sometimes databases can be searched without using the last name. Other information will need to be provided–first name, year of event, location, and other information in order to obtain a manageable number of search results.
But depending upon what else you know and how large the database, a search without the last name may be a good search tool when the last name is extremely difficult to read on the original record.
It’s up to the researcher to completely and carefully analyze the located record to determine if is a match for the person of interest.
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