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Sunday, 16 August 2015

Arts & Humanities: Genealogy: “Question: How is the family name Beaulieu related to the family name Medici?” plus 5 more

Arts & Humanities: Genealogy: “Question: How is the family name Beaulieu related to the family name Medici?” plus 5 more


Question: How is the family name Beaulieu related to the family name Medici?

Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:22 PM PDT

Here's what Ancestry.Com has about Beaulieu

Beaulieu Name Meaning French: habitational name from any of the extremely numerous places in France named with Old French beu, bel 'fair', 'lovely' + lieu 'place', 'location'. The name is occasionally also found in England; it is then either a Norman name from one of the French places just mentioned or derives from an English place name of the same origin, Beaulieu (pronounced byoo-lee) in Hampshire, seat of the Montagu family.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press

Now there might be a Beaulieu family related to Medici but surnames are not related to each other, nor do surnames have a family history despite the numerous peddlers of surname product who would like people to think they do so they can sell them a so called "family coat of arms." Also Ancestry.Com is now posting some misleading promotions on Facebook making it sound like surnames have a family history. They just want to entice people to subscribe to their website. A person could have a surname the same as a royal house or noble family and it could be that when surnames were taken that person had an ancestor who lived in the proximity of the royal castle or noble house or maybe was a servant in the royal castle or noble house. That's why genealogist will say DO NOT TRACE SURNAMES.

If you have Beaulieu in your family you feel are related to the Medici then you should do the research. Go back one generation at a time, documenting everything as you do. View surnames as convenient identifiers on records and always be open to changes in spellings etc.

Also don't trust family trees on any website, free or one that charges like Ancestry.Com. No, the websites do not verify their subscriber submitted family trees. It would cost them a fortune. Always distinguish between records they have and their subscriber submitted family trees which are not records.

Question: If you've taken several autosomal dna tests, do you feel ancestry.com's test is fairly accurate?

Posted: 16 Aug 2015 05:17 PM PDT

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