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ScotlandsPeople offers the option of using Soundex, a system that groups surnames together by common groups of consonants. It’s a good way of alerting you to possible variants, but it will not reveal all possibilities, and it is not based on specialist knowledge of surnames: the possible variants that it throws up may never have been used in real life.

Soundex helps by bringing together surnames starting M’, Mc and Mac. Some confusion can be caused by alternative Christian names (Jane might be recorded as Janet, Alexander as Alex or Allistair, William as Wm) so besides using Soundex for the forename, try simply keying in the initial letter: this will pick up any names starting with it.

Many Scots names were duplicated, and you will find lots of Alexander MacDonalds or Jean Hamiltons. If the censuses reveal a sibling with an unusual forename, try seeking that child’s birth instead.

of a certain couple. Between 1901 and 1928 you may have to check all possible births in the registration district.