The Two Wildcards You Need to Know If You Want to Uncover Buried Records on FamilySearch

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Every genealogist eventually hits the same wall: the record you know should exist simply will not appear in your search results.

Names get misspelled, transcribed by hand, and indexed inconsistently. A surname written Brown in one record might be Browne in the next — or indexed as Johnsen when you expected Johnson.

This is where wildcards become one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. A wildcard is a special character that stands in for unknown letters in a name, letting you search for many spelling variations at once instead of running a separate search for each possibility.

FamilySearch supports two of them, and the trick is knowing which to reach for. Think of searching like tuning a radio dial - small, deliberate adjustments often bring a hidden record into focus - and wildcards can help.

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The asterisk

Replaces zero or more letters. Best when an ending or middle section may vary.

The question mark

Replaces exactly one letter. Best when a single character is uncertain.

Used thoughtfully, these two characters can uncover records that a plain, exact search would never reveal. Here's how to put them to work.

The Steps

Eight quick techniques you can try in your very next search.

Use the asterisk for variable endings

The asterisk replaces zero or more characters, ideal when a name has an uncertain ending. Searching Brown* returns both Brown and Browne, because the asterisk allows any number of extra letters — including none. If a surname appears as Johnson, Johnsen, and Johnston, then Johns*n captures all three at once.

Use the question mark for one uncertain letter

The question mark replaces exactly one character — no more, no less. Catherine and Katherine appear interchangeably, so ?atherine covers both. Just remember it always expects a letter in that spot, so Brown? would find Browne but miss Brown entirely.

⭐ Quick rule: When you're unsure how many letters might change, reach for the asterisk. When you know it's just one, use the question mark.

Choose the right wildcard for the situation

Match the symbol to what you actually know. Use the asterisk when the number of varying letters is unknown; use the question mark when it's a single letter. And avoid going too broad — Brow* technically includes Browne, but it also drags in unrelated names like Brownlow or Brownstone and floods your results.

Use wildcards strategically, not excessively

You can use more than one at a time, but too many will overwhelm the search and scatter your results. Wildcards work best when you know most of the spelling and need flexibility in just one part of the name. Anders* neatly captures Anderson and Andersen while staying focused. Unlike with Brow*, there are very few possible variations after an Anders that will muddle your results. Anchor each wildcard with as many known letters as possible.

Combine wildcards with filters

A wildcard broadens spelling; a filter keeps that breadth under control. If William Smyth* still returns too many matches, pair it with a location, an approximate date range, or a known relationship such as a spouse or parent. You stay flexible on spelling while zeroing in on the right person.

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Search iteratively, one change at a time

Don't assume a single search will find everything. If your first attempt comes up short, change just one variable at a time and try again — remove a middle initial, widen the date range, switch the event from birth to residence, or add a place name in the Keyword field. Changing one thing at a time tells you exactly which adjustment made the difference.

Try without wildcards if results seem incomplete

Not every collection or search box on FamilySearch supports wildcards. If you're confident a record exists but it isn't appearing, run the search again with no wildcards to see what surfaces. They're most reliable in the given-name and surname fields; in the place field they're unreliable, so use them there with caution.

Watch for patterns in your results

Many records were handwritten by clerks or indexed by volunteers, so spelling varies widely. Pay attention to how names actually appear in the matches you do find — each search teaches you something about how that collection was indexed. Use those patterns to shape your next attempt, and keep going until the record comes into view.

Put It to the Test

Find an Ancestor Using Wildcards

Pick an ancestor whose surname has a spelling you've always been unsure about, and use wildcards to widen your search.

What you'll need: A free FamilySearch account and the name of one ancestor with a tricky or variable surname.

Go to the FamilySearch Records search and enter the given name plus a wildcard version of the surname, such as Anders* or Smyth*.

Run the search and note how many results appear and which spellings show up. Did any variations surface that an exact search would have missed?

Too many results? Add a filter like a location or birth year. Too few? Broaden the wildcard, or try the question mark for a single uncertain letter.

Change one element at a time — swap the event type, adjust the date range, or add a spouse's name — and watch how each change reshapes your results.

When you find a promising record, write down the exact spelling used. That variation may help you locate the same person in other collections.

⭐ Keep a running list of the surname spellings you discover for each family line. Over time it becomes a personal cheat sheet that makes every future search faster.

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