United States Index Systems

An index is a systematic guide, in list form, with references to the page where each item is located. There are many ways to index. They might be arranged alphabetically, by volume, or by time period. Some indexing systems are so complex that they require guides, keys, or tables to decipher. Some of the more common indexing systems for records in the United States are described below.

Alphabetical Indexes
Some indexes might be strictly alphabetical but many are organized using only the initial letter of the surname.

Burr Record Index
Entries are divided into subgroups under each letter of the alphabet. Surnames that begin with the letter J would appear under the following headings: JAA-JAC, JAE-JAL, JAM-JAP, JAQ-JAY, JE, JI, JOA-JOG, JOH-JOM, JON-JOP, JOR-JOY, JU, JY.

For an example, see "Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1629-1999," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-29677-4925-82 : accessed 31 Dec 2013), Talbot &gt; Administration account index (Burr's record index) 1777-1860 vol CRW 1777 &gt; image 20 of 218.

Campbell Index
Names are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of the given name along with the initial letter of the surname. The names Adam Clyde, Alice Crowther, and Andrew Czerny would all appear on the same page in chronological order. A key in front of the index provides the page number for the AC entries.

For an example of a Campbell Index guide sheet at the front of the index, see "Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1629-1999," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-31545-514-48 : accessed 01 Jan 2014), Montgomery &gt; General docket index 1930-1953 vol HGC, 1, no 1451-8752 &gt; image 21 of 509.

For an example of a Campbell Index entry sheet, see "Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1629-1999," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-31544-33393-35 : accessed 01 Jan 2014), Montgomery &gt; General docket index 1930-1953 vol HGC, 1, no 1451-8752 &gt; image 222 of 509.

Cott System Indexes
The Cott Index Company has many indexing systems, but they can be grouped into several groups:

Cott Key Table at Top of Page
A key table appears at the top of every page.

An example from New York probate records indexes by the first two letters of the surname. See "New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-24580-34900-84?cc=1920234&amp;wc=M9S9-GQY:73378958 : accessed 01 Jan 2014), Oswego &gt; Will index 1932-1956 A-Z &gt; image 7 of 349.

An example from Minnesota land records indexes by the first letter of the surname and the first letter of the given name. See "Minnesota, Itasca County Land Records, 1872-1930," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-29794-8980-86?cc=2030516&amp;wc=M9QB-8WW:n677125267 : accessed 01 Jan 2014), Itasca &gt; General index grantee 1911-1913 vol 12 &gt; image 2 of 313.

Cottco Universal
The alphabet is divided into units. A unit starts with a tab sheet showing the letter or the part of a letter contained in the unit. The unit next contains a sub-index sheet with page references for every combination of letters or commonly occurring surnames. The unit then contains the referenced pages.

For an example from Records of Maryland, see http://aomol.net/000001/000546/html/am546--30.html.

Cott Family Name
Every surname is given a separate page with given names listed alphabetically. A sub-index sheet at the beginning of each unit identifies the page numbers for the surnames.

Cott Guide Letter
A key table provides a page number based on the first letter of the surname combined with the first letter of the given name.

Liber Index
These indexes are organized by the initial letter of the surname and further distinguished by the volume (liber). All "C" surnames are grouped together with those for Volume 1 listed first, followed by Volume 2, etc.

For an example from Records of Maryland, see http://aomol.net/000001/000546/pdf/am546--22.pdf.

Paul Company Key Table Index
This index is grouped by the first three letters of the surname, then arranged in chronological order. A key table at the front of each volume provides a page reference to each letter group.

Russell Key Index
This index is not based on the first letter of the surname. Instead, it is based on key letters (L, M, N, R, and T) that follow the initial letter of the surname. For this reason, is sometimes called the LMNRT or L-M-N-R-T index. Surnames Camp, Chapman, Coffman, and Cushman would appear under the key letter “M;” Carr, Coker, Creecy, and Cubberly would appear under the key letter “R.” First names are arranged alphabetically within each key letter. The entries are then arranged chronologically within each combination of key letter and first name.

As an example, consider locating Agnes Rockwell in the Mercer County, Pennsylvania 1800-[1971] estate index. Start with the volume for surnames starting with R. L is the first key letter after the initial R in Rockwell. A is the first letter of the given name, Agnes. Check the guide to key letters In the front of the volume to find the section number associated with the key letter L and given names starting with A. It is section 11. Go to section 11 and scan the chronological entries for Agnes Rockwell.

Soundex
Soundex is a phonetic index that groups together names that sound alike but are spelled differently, for example, Stewart and Stuart. This helps searchers find names that are spelled differently than originally expected, a relatively common genealogical research problem. (Read more)

Vowel Index
The initial letter is combined with the first vowel of the surname. Surnames Campbell, Chandler, and Craig would be found under the heading “CA.”

Other Indexes
Some indexes don't fit into these categories. For instance, the New Hampshire vital records are indexed using the first and third letter of the surname.

Land Indexes
Person-to-person land transfers are often indexed separately by the surname of the buyer or by the surname of the seller. These records are called by various names. Those indexed by the surname of the buyer might be referred to as "Grantee," "Reverse," or "Indirect" indexes. Those indexed by the surname of the seller might be referred to as "Grantor," "Forward," or "Direct" indexes.

Tips for Using Indexes

 * 1) Introductory pages to a record or a book might explain how the index is arranged and provide a key to abbreviations used.
 * 2) Indexes might appear as a separate record, at the beginning or end of a record, in each volume, or in the initial or final volume only.
 * 3) Don’t assume that the index is complete. Many indexes do not include everyone mentioned. A land index, for instance, might only list the husband, even if the wife is mentioned in the record.
 * 4) Check all possible spelling variations.
 * 5) Check to see if additions or corrections were included in a special section at the end of the index.
 * 6) Don’t stop with the index; examine the original record, if possible.
 * 7) Expect indexing errors to occur.
 * 8) If the person isn’t located in the index, check the record anyway.