Equivalents of Modern and Historical Locations for Genealogical Research

It can be very frustrating to research your family tree when you run up against names of places that just don’t seem right. Sometimes it’s because the same town was known by four or five different names over the centuries. Sometimes it’s because a county that used to exist was dissolved and dispersed among neighboring counties when the lines were redrawn. Sometimes it’s because you find the name of a castle or manor house but don’t have the name of the town it’s in. And sometimes…it’s because some researcher along the way recorded something that was completely wrong, and every other researcher since then saved the data and propagated the false information as sharing their own family trees.

So I’ve made myself a list – something I will be updating as I continue my research – that allows me an easy reference to identify a locality without having to Google it and map it every single time. Other researchers, please feel free to use this information to correct your own family trees. I would be very pleased if you cited me (Christina Gleason @ WELLinTHIShouse.com) as your source.

More precisely, I have two lists here. The first is a list of place names that are recognized by Family Tree Maker as valid, and they are plotted properly on the world map. The second list, if you scroll down, is a list of locations that Family Tree Maker does not recognize as valid. There are two types of places on this second list: historical place names that no longer exist but do not have satisfactory modern equivalents, or modern location names that do appear on the map but are still not recognized by FTM for some unknown reason. When possible, I’ve input the GPS coordinates for the latter locations in my FTM entries.

To help myself and others, a list of equivalent location names found in my genealogical research:

• Barnstaple, Devon, England | also known as St. Mary Magdalen, Barnstaple Totnes, Devonshire, England
• Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as Varenne, Seine Inferieure, Normandy, France
• Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, England | also known as Stortford, Hertfordshire, England
• Brome-Missisquoi, Quebec, Canada | formerly known as Missisquoi, Quebec, Canada
• Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France | formerly known as Venoix, Calvados, Normandy, France
• Crépy, Oise, Picardie, France | formerly known as Valois, France
• Davie, North Carolina, USA | formerly known as Rowan, North Carolina, USA
• Épernon, Eure-et-Loir, Centre, France | wrongly known as St Thomas, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
• Great Hormead, Hertfordshire, England | also known as Saunford, Hertfordshire, England
• Grestain, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France | wrongly known as St Grestain, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
• Hempsted, Gloucestershire, England | also known as Llanthony Priory, Gloucestershire, England
• Holy Island, Durham, England | also known as Lindisfarne, Northumbria, England
• Iznik, Bursa, Turkey | formerly known as Nicaea , Bithynia, Turkey
• La Visitation-de-l’Île-Dupas, D’Autray, Quebec, Canada | also known as L’Île-Dupas, Quebec, Canada or L’Ile-Dupas, Quebec, Canada
• Laois, Ireland | formerly known as Leix, Ireland
• Lesvos, Greece | also known as Lesbos, Greece
• Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales | also known as Llandyfeisant, Carmarthenshire, Wales or Dynevor Castle, Wales or Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire, Wales
• Midhurst, Sussex, England | also known as Riverbank House, Cowdray Park, Sussex, England
• Møre og Romsdal, Norway | also known as Raumsdal, Telemark, Norway
• Niagara Falls, Niagara, Ontario, Canada | formerly known as Lundys Lane, Bridgewater, Ontario, Canada
• Nitra, Nitriansky, Slovakia | formerly known as Nyitra, Solvakia
• North Scarle, Lincolnshire, England | wrongly known as No Searles, Lincolnshire, England
• Northumberland, England | formerly known as Northumbria, England
• Ráth Bhile, Carlow, Ireland | also known as Rathvilly, Carlow, Ireland
• Reichpolds, Zwettl, Niederösterreich, Austria | formerly known as Reichpoldesberge, Germany
• Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as St Jouin Sur Mer, La Havre, Normandie, France
• Sainte-Famille, L’Île-d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada | also known as Ste-Famille, L’Île-d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada
• Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier, D’Autray, Quebec, Canada | also known as Ste-Genevieve-de-Berthier, D’Autray, Quebec, Canada
• Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, L’Île-d’Orléans, Quebec, Canada | formerly known as St Jean, Canada East, Canada
• Schwarzen, Regen, Bayern, Germany | wrongly known as Schwartsenen, Germany
• Sinsheim, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | also known as Rohrback, Kris, Sensheim, Germany
• Southwark, Surrey, England | formerly known as St George the Martyr, Surrey, England
• Sporle, Norfolk, England| formerly known as Little Pagrave, Norfolk, England or Little Palgrave, Norfolk, England
• St Jean, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, France | also known as St Jean, Diocese Coulaine, France
• St Jean, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Jean, Mortagne, Perche, France
• Steinsfurt, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | wrongly known as Steinsfurt, Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
• Staindrop, Durham, England | the location of Raby Castle, Durham, England
• Thuxton, Norfolk, England | wrongly known as Thruxton, Norfolk, England
• Tintern, Monmouthshire, Wales | wrongly known as Tintern Abbey, Pembrokes, Wales
• Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Aubin, Tourouvre, Perche, France
• Valognes, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | wrongly known as Valoines, Contentin, France
• Velikiy Novgorod, Novgorod, Russia | also known as Novgorod, Novgorod, Russia

Historical locations with no satisfactory modern equivalent, or other locations not recognized by Family Tree Maker as legitimate:

• Affligem, Belgium
• Aghadown, Cork, Ireland
• Altyre, Moray, Scotland
• Apulia, Italy
• Arklow, Wicklow, Ireland
• Aupois (Chalpaida), Austrasia
• Austrasia
• Badenoch, Invernesshire, Scotland
• Beaumont-le-Roger, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France
• Berestove, Kiev, Ukraine
• Bernicia, England
• Béthisy-Saint-Pierre, Oise, Picardie, France
• Bigorre, Gascony, France
• Billunger Mark, Sachsen, Germany
• Bodfeld, Harz, Germany
• Bois-Guillaume, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France
• Bothganowan, Moray, Scotland
• Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
• Cappadocia, Nev?ehir, Turkey
• Carrickfergus, Antrim, Ireland
• Château-du-Loir, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
• Château-Landon, Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France, France
• Château-Thierry, Aisne, Picardie, France
• Comminges, France
• Conflent, Pyrenees-Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
• Connacht, Ireland
• Couserans, France
• Damerham, Hampshire, England | also known as South Damerham Manor & Estate, Damerham, Fordingbridge, Hampshire
• Deheubarth, Wales
• Dyfed, Wales
• East Anglia, England
• Ewyas Lacy, Herefordshire, England | also known as Lacy, Herefordshire, England
• Eyjafjordur, Iceland
• Ferns, Wexford, Ireland
• Fézensac, France
• Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England
• Franconia, Germany
• Galloway, Scotland
• Gascony, France
• Gâtinais, Loiret, Centre, France
• Glendalough, Wicklow, Ireland
• Hedingham Castle, Essex, England
• Hesbaye, Belgium
• Kvenland
• L’Île-Bouchard, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France | also known as L’Ile-Bouchard, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France
• La Charité-sur-Loire, Nièvre, Bourgogne, France
• La Ferté-Alais, Essonne, Île-de-France, France
• Lacroix-Saint-Ouen, Oise, Picardie, France | also known as St Croix, St Ouen, France
• Le Gué-d’Alleré, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France
• Leinster, Ireland
• Logudoro, Sardegna, Italy | also known as Logudoro, Sardinia, Italy
• Luxembourg
• Maasgau, Belgium
• Maere, Nord-Trondelag, Norway
• Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA
• Menallan, York, Pennsylvania, USA | wrongly known as Manallen, York, Pennsylvania, USA
• Mercia, England
• Montferrat, Italy
• Munster, Ireland
• Murderkill Hundred, Kent, Delaware, USA
• Neustria
• Nordgau, Bavaria
• Normandy, France
• Ossory, Ireland
• Ossossane, Huronia, Ontario, Canada
• Ostmark, Germany
• Palestine
• Pannonia, Hungary
• Perche, France
• Pont-Audemer, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France
• Prote, Turkey
• Provence, France
• Ribagorza, Huesca, Aragon, Spain
• Saint-André-sur-Sèvre, Deux-Sèvres, Poitou-Charentes, France | also known as St-Andre, Deux-Sevres, Poitou-Charentes, France
• Saint-Germain-de-Montgommery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Germain de Montgomery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France or St Germain, Montgomery, Normandy, France
• Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Île-de-France, France | also known as St Germain Laux, Paris, Ile-de-France, France
• Saint-Gilles, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France | also known as St Gilles, Languedoc, France
• Saint-Jean-d’Angély, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France | also known as Saint Jean d’Angely, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France
• Saint-Jean-d’Aubrigoux, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, France
• Saint-Jouin-Bruneval, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as St Jouin de Bruneval, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France
• Saint-Laurent-de-la-Barrière, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France | also known as St Laurent, Barriere, Saintonge, France
• Saint-Maclou, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as St Maclou, Normandie, France
• Saint-Martin-d’Aubigny, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Martin d Aubigny, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France or St Martin Daubigney, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France or St Martin Daubigny, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France
• Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France
• Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Picardie, France
• Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, Drôme, Rhône-Alpes, France | also known as St Rambert d’Albon, Isere, Rhone-Alpes, France
• Saint-Riquier, Somme, Picardie, France
• Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Sauveur, Manche, Basse-Normandie, France
• Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France | also known as Saint Valéry, Normandie, France or St Valery En Caux, Normandy, France or St Valery sur Somme, Somme, Picardie, France
• Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France | also known as St Foy de Montgomery, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
• Sant Feliu de Buixalleu, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
• Scandinavia
• Speyergau, Franconia | also known as Speyergau, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
• Swabia, Germany
• Tegeingl, Flintshire, Wales
• Transylvania, Romania
• Tynedale, Northumberland, England | wrongly known as Tynedale, Moray, Scotland
• Tyre, Lebanon
• Ufenau, Schwyz, Switzerland
• Västergötland, Gotland, Sweden
• Vatican City
• Vermandois, France
• Vexin, France
• Vimbodí i Poblet, Catalonia, Spain
• Vitry-le-François, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France
• Warren, Sussex, England
• Wessex, England
• Westerburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
• Wigton Magna, Leicestershire, England

Christina Gleason (976 Posts)

That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.