Finding and Merging Duplicate Individuals

Duplicate individuals appear in trees for several reasons:

• •Multiple imports: Merging data from different sources without linking individuals
• •Spelling variations: "John Smith" and "Jon Smyth" entered as separate people
• •Incomplete merging: Partially merged trees leaving fragments
• •Different name forms: Birth name vs. married name entered separately
• •Research iterations: Adding someone tentatively, then finding them again under a different name

GEDminer compares individuals using multiple criteria:

• •Name matching: Comparing given names and surnames with fuzzy matching
• •Date alignment: Birth and death dates within reasonable ranges
• •Place matching: Same or similar locations for events
• •Parent matching: Individuals with the same parents are likely duplicates
• •Sex consistency: Obvious mismatches are filtered out

Matches are assigned a confidence score based on how many criteria align.

The confidence percentage indicates match likelihood:

• •90-100%: Very likely duplicates - same name, dates, places, and parents
• •75-90%: Probable duplicates - most data matches with minor variations
• •60-75%: Possible duplicates - some matching, some differences to investigate
• •Below 60%: Unlikely - shown for completeness but probably not duplicates

Always verify before merging, especially for common names.

Click any duplicate pair to see a detailed comparison:

• •Name: Full name as recorded for each
• •Birth/Death dates and places: Exact records from each entry
• •Parents: Father and mother names if recorded
• •Spouses and children: Connected family members
• •Sources: What evidence supports each record

Matching fields are highlighted to help you quickly assess the match.

GEDminer is an analysis tool - merging happens in your genealogy software:

1. Note the IDs: Record the GEDCOM identifiers for both individuals
2. Open your software: Find both records in your usual family tree program
3. Review carefully: Check all facts, sources, and family links
4. Merge: Use your software's merge function, choosing the best data for each field
5. Re-export: Generate a new GEDCOM and re-analyse to verify

Not every match is a duplicate:

• •Common names: John Smith born 1850 might genuinely appear multiple times
• •Siblings: Brothers with the same name (often due to infant death)
• •Junior/Senior: Father and son with identical names
• •Cousins: Same name, similar dates, same general area

When in doubt, research further before merging. It's easier to merge later than to unmerge incorrectly combined records.

When you've determined a pair isn't actually duplicate:

• •Click Disregard: Removes the pair from your active list
• •Add notes: In your genealogy software, note why they're different
• •Consider documentation: If names are very similar, add explanatory notes to prevent future confusion