Never assume there cannot be more than one person with same name–or a name that’s very close to it–in the same area. Whether the area is rural or urban makes no difference. It is always possible.
While writing a recent tip, I came across a person named Hilka Huls who died in the 1950s in Hancock County, Illinois. Wanting to make certain I had the correct person and the correct date, I did a little searching. There were two women with this name in that location. Both were born in the 1870s. Both died in the 1950s. They were sisters-in-law.
Same namers may be related–most likely first or second cousins. They may be related by marriage–as in this case. They may also not be related at all. Sometimes the unrelated ones come from the same location–particularly if the last name is uncommon. Sometimes the unrelated ones have nothing in common other than the same name.
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