GUIDE TO HOW NAMES ARE INDEXED IN THE COMPUTER

 This is a general guide as to how the Registry creates the indexes and how you can best use the computer to search the indexes.

The Registry enters names in the computer as they appear on the original instrument, surname first, given name second, without alternate spellings or corrections except as indicated below: 

General Rule:  A name will be indexed the way it is presented. 

 1. There is no punctuation used in this index. 

 2. Obvious misspellings and/or obvious differences between the printed name and the signature may be cross-indexed.

3. Mt.(Mount), St.(Saint) will be indexed as Mt and St or Mount and Saint with no punctuation.

 4. Numbers may be spelled out in full.  Hyphens are not used. 

 Example:  1100 Main Street Trust = 1100 Main Street Trust or One Thousand One Hundred Maine Street Trust

When a name contains a number, Arabic numeral or Roman numeral, the following indexing rule shall apply:

When a word is an Arabic numeral, the numeral will be entered as presented.

       When a word is an obvious Roman numeral, the name will be entered with the Roman numeral as presented.

 Example:    Name presented:   Thirty Five Broadway Realty Trust

             Index as:         Thirty Five Broadway Realty Trust

 5. Hyphenated single words will be typed without a hyphen.  (Example: "Co-operative" will be typed as "Cooperative" or “Co Operative”.

 6. Hyphenated names will be typed with a space in place of the hyphen.  (Example:  "Smith-Jones" will be typed as "Smith Jones" or “Jones Smith”.

 7. Terms such as "as Trustee", "Estate of", "Administrator", "Conservator", "by Attorney", do not affect the position of the name.  The name will be indexed first, with the title to follow.  (Example: A deed with the Grantor clause reading "John Jones as Executor of the Estate of Mary Smith” will be typed "Jones, John and Smith, Mary Est

8. Initials may be typed both with a space between each initial and without a space between each initial.  Periods are not used.  (Example: "A.B.C. Corporation" = "ABC Corp." and "A B C Corp."

9. Human surnames such as O'Brien, La France, Del Rio and Van Otto will be entered as is or one word or two words. 

Example: Obrien, Lafrance, Delrio, Vanotto or O Brien, La France,

Van Otto. Or O’Brien

10. Name endings such as "Jr." "Sr.", "Third", are considered part of the given name.  "Jr." and "Sr." will be typed in their abbreviated form.  (Example: "John Jones, Senior" = "Jones, John Sr"

11. Corporations, companies, towns, trusts, clubs, associations are treated in their entirety as surnames.

12. Towns are indexed per following example:

The “Town of Wiscasset” will be indexed as “Wiscasset Inhab of”.

 13. The word "The" is not used when it begins a name.

(Example:  "The Bank of Boston" = "Bank of Boston")

16. Agencies, divisions, departments of a City, State or the United States will be indexed only by the City, State or the United States of America, not by the agency, division or department.  Any reference to the agency, division, department will be indexed as follows:

(Example:  "Town of Wiscasset" = "Wiscasset Inhab of .

Exception:  United States Internal Revenue Service will be indexed as "United States of America IRS".

State of Maine Department of Human Services will be indexed as “Maine State of DHS”