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Transform Chaos into Clarity: Clean Up Place Names in Family Tree Maker
- Devon Noel Lee
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
If you’ve been working on your family tree for years, especially on Ancestry, chances are it’s accumulated some messy place names. Consistency in place names is more than just a nice touch—it’s essential for clarity. A clean and organized tree ensures that anyone who inherits or interacts with your research won’t be confused by formatting issues or inaccuracies.
Today, we’ll walk through how to clean up those place names using Family Tree Maker, an excellent tool for streamlining your Ancestry tree.
Why Do Place Names Get Messy?
If you’ve imported data from other family trees or records, you’ve likely encountered inconsistencies. These can include:
Abbreviations like “USA” versus “United States”
Varying historical names, like “British America” or “British Colonial America”
Extra punctuation, such as brackets or commas
Formatting differences between sources
The more records you’ve added, the more these inconsistencies creep in. But don’t worry—Family Tree Maker makes it easy to tidy up your data.
See the Family Tree Maker Place Name Clean Up Tool in action.
Cleaning Up Place Names Using Family Tree Maker - Step by Step
So, let's go through the step-by-step process to clean up the place names in your Ancestry family tree using Family Tree Maker.
Step 1: Open the Place Name Cleanup Tool
Family Tree Maker includes a “Resolve Place Names” tool designed specifically for addressing these inconsistencies. Here’s how to access it:
Navigate to the Places tab in Family Tree Maker.
Look for the icon with a checkmark over a piece of paper (to the right of the “Places” heading) and click it.
When prompted, back up your file. If you’re working on a large tree, a backup is essential in case you need to undo changes.
A pop-up window will appear showing a list of unresolved place names.
Step 2: Standardize Place Names
The tool will suggest standardized versions for your place names. For example:
“Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States” might become “Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.”
“Franklin County, Ohio, United States” could change to “Franklin County, Ohio, USA.”
You have complete control over these changes. Review each suggestion carefully and decide whether to accept or ignore it. Here are some tips:
Check for Boundary Changes: Historical accuracy matters. For example, a place like Hannover, Germany, had different borders before 1871. If Family Tree Maker’s suggestion doesn’t align with your historical research, click “Ignore” and make a note to investigate further.
Preserve Detail in Descriptions: If a place name includes additional information (e.g., “Portland Township, Sandusky City, Ward 1, Erie County, Ohio, United States”), Family Tree Maker may clip it to “Erie County, Ohio, USA.” To preserve those details, use the “Description” field to store the extra information.
Step 3: Address Unique Cases
Some place names require extra care:
Irish Locations: If Family Tree Maker wants to simplify “Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland” to just “Ireland,” double-check your research before accepting the change.
Canadian Place Names: Family Tree Maker may not favor historical terms like “Upper Canada” or “Canada West,” preferring the modern “Ontario, Canada.” You’ll need to decide whether to prioritize historical or current naming conventions.
Step 4: Make Bulk Edits
Sometimes, multiple records share the same incorrect place name. For example, if “Hamilton, Franklin, Ohio” should be “Hamilton Township, Franklin County, Ohio, USA,” you can:
Click on the incorrect name.
Select “Change All Instances.”
Enter the corrected place name.
Confirm the change.
This feature saves time and ensures consistency throughout your tree.
Step 5: Sync Changes to Ancestry
Once you’ve cleaned up your place names in Family Tree Maker, sync your updates to your Ancestry tree:
Click the sync icon in Family Tree Maker.
Choose “Sync Now.”
Review the summary of changes and click “Continue.”
Your cleaned-up place names will now appear on Ancestry, ensuring your tree is consistent across platforms.
Why It’s Worth the Effort to Clean Up Place Names?
Cleaning up your family tree may seem tedious, but it’s worth it. Consistent place names make your tree easier to understand, share, and pass down to future generations. Plus, a tidy tree can reveal new patterns and connections in your research.
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