

Quite selfishly I need to understand better how to input data for my Dutch ancestors.
1. What is the historical period break out / change? For instance, English conventions changed a couple of times: with the adoption of surnames (ca 1200s); with the adoption of middle names (ca 1700s). But my understanding is that this may be different in different countries.
2. What are the rules for baptismal names?
3. What are the naming patterns? (a sub paragraph, I know, but would be helpful for me: for instance, if the convention is that "families may have used Johann as the first name for multiple generations" that is helpful to me).
4. What were the "usual" ways names were anglicized in the United States? (another subparagraph)
5. How do Dutch Americans names now differ, if at all, from names in The Netherlands?
6. Appropriate citation data welcome.
Available fields:
First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Maiden Name
Display Name
Suffix
Nickname [to be relabeled 'also known as']
Birth name [to be added; use in "about me" in the meantime]
Title
Prefix [to be added; use in "about me" in the meantime]
In the Netherlands allways existed surnames, but someones used only the familyname as surname, others only patronyms (example:Jansdaughter or Klaasson) and someones used both at the same time. Also they changed using during their lifes.
After 1800 Napoleon ordered every dutch person to choose a familyname and then it happened that 9 sons of one father choosed everyone an other familyname and this clan had then 10 different surnames. In Friesland and Groningen was yet a long time usable to use both surnames the new choosen and the patronym.
On Rodovid we have the clan field added to profiles so we can search also all families on Clan name. But it is a pity that also on Rodovid most users never read how to work and do what they themselves think what is right. Also there are fields abused. !
Royals were in the Netherlands the same as else in Europe, they had a familyclan, but mostly not mentioned, they were mentioned by their temporary titles and geographic area.
Medieval citizens, not the nobility par example:
grandfather Willem Barendsz, father Gerrit Willemsz,son Frederik Gerritsz
grandmother Mientje Pietersdr, Jannigje Teunisdr, Neeltje Jansdr
Please put all given names in the First Name field and the patronymic in the Middle Name field.
Also with a Dutch marriage women keep their own last name, so do NOT put the last name of the husband in the Last Name field of the woman. you can put it in the AKA and/or Display Name field.
Many of the Dutch have a short call name (like Theodorus may be called Dick or Cornelis may be called Kees), please do not put this call name in the First Name or Middle Name field, but put it in the AKA field and please do NOT use () or "" around it.
The Dutch have a prefix name field that does not exists in other languages where you will values like "de, van, het, op, van der, van het" and a few more. In Geni they should go in the Last Name and Birth Surname field in front of the last name and they should be in lowercase.
Sorting in sources will be done on last name + prefix (Be careful, the Belgium's do not have this prefix field and they will write them with a starting uppercase as part of the last name)
Be careful with patronymics in search, Geni compares name fields from end to start over the shortest length. There are different ways to spell a patronymic and different ways it will be shortened. Example: Janszoon can be written if full Janszoon, but also as Janszn, Jansz, Jans or even just Jan (mostly Jansz or Janszn will be used)
So to make sure Search can find a profile it can be useful to put the variants in the AKA field
Also the Dutch language has an extra letter ij mostly written as an i followed by a j, (and for uppercase written as IJ and if the user uses a Dutch keyboard you could even find it as a single character but that is very very rare) but it should be sorted between x and z. so you will see it written as y as well, so often one of the variants will have to go into the AKA field to be sure the profile can be found using either variant.
If you want to work in the Dutch part of the tree please check https://www.geni.com/account_settings/name_preferences and set them to show Middle names (to see patronymics)
Did you see https://help.geni.com/hc/en-us/articles/229705067-How-do-I-know-whi...
I found this discussion from there.
I wish Geni would add some info about the way search works (like how the AKA field is used and how Geni compares field values) to https://help.geni.com/hc/en-us/articles/229705067-How-do-I-know-whi.... I'll ask Amanda if that is possible.