Institute for Regional Studies >> Biography & Genealogy >> North Dakota Biography Index

First Name: exact match any match
Last Name: exact match any match


          Order Copies

Search by Publication Title       

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Search Tips for the Biography Database

First and Last Names
    The "any match" option is the default search and is broad in scope. Using this option will result in finding all incidences of the consecutive letters entered in the query, whether at the beginning, middle or end of a name, as well as the name itself. When unsure about the spelling of a name you can truncate [shorten] to consecutive letters about which you are sure. The truncation can be done in both the First and Last Name fields. Entering "Hans" in the Last Name field will produce both Hansen and Hanson, as well as Boeshans, Burhans, Groshans, Hansbrough, Hansel, etc. Entering "Wil" in the First Name field along with "Hans" in the Last Name field will produce William Burhans, William Hansen, Wilbur Hanson, Wilburt Hanson, as well as William Johansen.

    The "exact match" option will find only the names spelled exactly as entered in the query. Using this option with "Lee" in the Last Name field will produce only persons whose last name is Lee, not Brownlee, Gleeson or Van Fleet. Entering "Lee" in the First Name field with the exact match option will produce entries where only the name "Lee" is present. Warning: If a last or first name is hyphenated or a middle name is in the First Name record, this search will not find them.

Maiden Names
    Only a small number of entries presently contain a woman's maiden name. The maiden name has been entered in the First Name field and must be searched in that field. Entering "Anna Olson" in the First Name field will produce Johanna Olson Berdal, Anna Olson Iverson, Anna K. Olson Lura, etc.

Title Field
    The Title field is not searchable but is included in the results page when data is present. This field is used for the following titles: doctor (Dr.), minister (Rev.), Mrs., Miss, Jr., Sr., dentist (D.D.S.), veterinarian (D.V.S.), and some military titles. This information is not complete for all entries, but reflects data as found in items when indexed.