Interview Purpose
Family interviews can preserve names, stories, pronunciations, places, languages, and record clues that are not easy to find in a database. An interview is a starting point for research, not final proof.
Ask only questions the person is comfortable answering. Do not pressure anyone to discuss adoption, immigration status, religion, citizenship, conflict, family separation, living relatives, or private records.
Interview Setup
Interviewer
Date
Person interviewedUse first name, initials, or a general description if privacy matters.
Permission to use notes for class?
Before You Begin
Read or adapt this short introduction:
"I am researching surname history for a school or personal project. You can skip any question. I will treat stories as clues unless I can connect them to records."
| Respectful Interview Practice | Check |
|---|---|
| I explained the purpose of the interview. | |
| I said that any question can be skipped. | |
| I asked whether I may take notes or record audio. | |
| I avoided sharing private details without permission. |
Surname Questions
Core Interview Prompts
| Question | Notes | Follow-Up Evidence to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| How has this surname been spelled in the family? | ||
| Are there older spellings, nicknames, shortened forms, or translated forms? | ||
| How do family members pronounce the surname? | ||
| Are there stories about where the surname came from? | ||
| Are there places, towns, regions, or countries connected to the surname story? | ||
| Are there languages, alphabets, religions, occupations, or traditions connected to the name? |
Record Clue Questions
Ask these only when appropriate. The goal is to identify possible sources, not to collect private documents.
| Question | Notes | Possible Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Are there old letters, certificates, books, photos, or inscriptions that show the surname? | Family papers, photo backs, certificates | |
| Do any records show a different spelling? | Census, school, church, military, travel, or legal records | |
| Are there known moves between towns, regions, or countries? | Migration, census, residence, or local records | |
| Are there stories about a job, place, parent name, or nickname connected to the surname? | Dictionary, local history, occupational record, map |
Story Versus Evidence
Interview Evidence Sorter
| What I Heard | Type of Clue | How Certain Is It? | What Could Check It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling / place / date / language / story / record / other | |||
| Spelling / place / date / language / story / record / other | |||
| Spelling / place / date / language / story / record / other | |||
| Spelling / place / date / language / story / record / other |
Follow-Up Research Plan
Next Steps
One spelling variant to search
One place name to verify
One record type to look for
One claim I should treat carefully
Interview Summary
Careful Summary
The interview suggests
The strongest clue is
I still need evidence for