On the to-do list for my French Canadian research is to find all the “Dit” names for Grand-Maître.  “Dit” which can mean “also called” works wonders when researching in French Canadian records.  Watching for families who went between the original name and the “dit” name can make for a very lengthy research list.  One of the Grand-Maître lines is listed under the “dit” name Barbary.

Knowing about naming patterns early in your research can save you a lot of time.  I am once again going back through previously searched records capturing the alternate name entries.  So far, I have found some answers on missing lines.  Hopefully if you are working through naming convention issues you will find a nice church registrar who spells out what the family names, original name and “dit” name are.

French-Canadian naming patterns is well explained in French Canadian Sources, A Guide for Genealogists by Patricia Kenney Geyh.