SurnameMP, GivenMP, NicknameMP
This topic was discussed back in 2024 and I was wondering if anyone has made any progress in establishing how these fields are used. I'm still using RootsMagic 9 so I'd be interested to know if more recent versions have expanded their use of these fields.
My assumption is that the "MP" stands for metaphone, which is an algorithm for matching, or searching for, words based upon their sound. As an example, the name "Kennedy" maps to "KNT", which is the sort of code I was hoping to find in SurnameMP. Soundex is an older algorithm, but one most computer people are familiar with due to its widespread implementation in databases.
The more recent (2000) double metaphone algorithm is better with foreign languages, and would be well suited to matching names by sound. I happen to have both McDonnell (MP: MKTN) and McDonald (also MKTN) in my tree - same family, but I assume the name was changed due a transcription error by a bureaucrat and it stuck.
I'd be interested to hear how this functionality has come along.
Regards,
Michael
I might be wrong -- but I do not recall seeing any changes related to that
https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/rootsmagic-update-history/6700
Quote from Michael Henry on 2026-08-22, 8:39 amThis topic was discussed back in 2024 and I was wondering if anyone has made any progress in establishing how these fields are used. I'm still using RootsMagic 9 so I'd be interested to know if more recent versions have expanded their use of these fields.
Nothing has apparently changed. There is nothing in the user interface that accesses them and they continue to be populated with the ASCII interpretation of the regular Name fields, e.g.
| Surname | SurnameMP |
|---|---|
| von Schönberg, auf Sachsenburg, Stolberg, Frankenberg, Neusorge, Schönau | von Schonberg, auf Sachsenburg, Stolberg, Frankenberg, Neusorge, Schonau |
| von Weißenbach | von Weissenbach |
| Zügel | Zugel |
My assumption is that the "MP" stands for metaphone, which is an algorithm for matching, or searching for, words based upon their sound. As an example, the name "Kennedy" maps to "KNT", which is the sort of code I was hoping to find in SurnameMP.
When I went in search of what MP might stand for back then led to Matronymic/Patronymic. I don't think MetaPhone came up at all but the ASCII-ness of the content rather leans toward it. Along with the publicly available rules in code that the developers might use for free. I think that those who have had long-standing enhancement requests for the handling of matronymic/patronymic names would not want to lose the accents.
All we can do is wait and see if anything comes of it. There have been columns in the past that were unused but suggestive of something in the works. Nothing has come of one or two and they have disappeared while one or two others actually became part of a new feature.
Some of the data cols /fields may be be place there and then abandoned (at least for time being).
You can also post on community for enhancement request