Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Miss-typed name

The solution to this is to correct the mistake and re-enter the search.

If you input more than one forename then the chances of failure are much greater.

A good strategy is to use a shorten version over the forename and surname but make sure you click the forename NO exact forename radio button.

Even if you do find a match for the full name, it is a good idea to do another search with just the first initial and the surname. This is particularly important if the person was in a war. Names on war memorials often only give the initial of the forename.

The name within the GPR database is slightly different

There are usually three reasons for this:

1. There are a variety of different spellings for the surname.
2. There are a variety of different spellings for the forename.
3. The forenames are in a different order.

To help researchers, the GPR website has a search feature that allows people to view all the surnames held within its database.

This feature is called Surname lists and can be found on the main search page which can be accessed via the SEARCH link on the top menu on every page.

For example, there are adjacent graves in Cappagh's Church burial ground, Tyrone, Ireland with the surnames Nickol and Nickle. It is highly likely that these graves belong to the same family. To find search results for slightly different surnames then use the longest common start of the name and select a non-exact search. For instance, use Nick for the above example.

The Surname list search will show both of these names as well as other alternatives. Similar lists are available both for maiden names and family names held within the Gravestone Photographic Resource database.

The surname is a double barrelled name

There are a number of problems in the way in which double barrelled names are dealt with. The GPR has attempted to standardise the way it treats these names but unfortunately some exceptions slip through!

There are no entries for that name

There are a number of reasons why there is no entry for a particular name:

1. The cemetery where they are buried has not been photographed.
2. The cemetery where they are buried has been photographed but either the cemetery has only been partly photographed, there is no grave monument, the monument is illegible, hidden under vegetation or it was accidentaly missed.
3. A woman may have remarried and be buried under her new surname.
4. A person may have changed their name.
5. A married woman may be buried under her maiden name. You can check maiden names stored within the GPR by using the maiden name A-Z list.