How to Verify Your Branch Relationship Using Generation-Name Clues

Generation names can help identify clues, but they cannot prove kinship on their own.

A guide to organizing information. The examples are fictional demonstrations, not historical cases; please verify conclusions involving people, dates, and lineages against original sources.

Preserve the Complete Original Text and Order

Generation names may come from genealogy pages, ancestral hall inscriptions, or oral accounts. Record the order of each character, whether variant characters are present, and whether the sequence is complete, while also preserving the source. Do not automatically replace hard-to-recognize characters with versions that are more widely circulated online.

Distinguish Generation-Naming Rules from Real Names

The appearance of the same character in names does not necessarily mean they were named strictly according to the same generation-name sequence. First list the known people across three generations and their birth order, then check whether the generation character consistently appears in the same position and whether the family has any notes on exceptions.

Cross-Check Generation Names with Other Evidence

Verify the hall name, branch location, founding ancestor, migration records, and father-son relationships. Identical generation-name sequences in two families can serve as a starting point for further research, but they cannot be directly connected into a single lineage chart.

Do Not Force Corrections When There Are Inconsistencies

Possible reasons include a later extended generation-name sequence, different sub-branches, omissions in oral accounts, or recognition errors. List the differences and preserve each source, giving priority to checking the branch guidelines, revision notes, and relevant individual pages.

Copyable Record Sheet

字辈原文：
出处与页码：
使用支派与地区：
已知人物对应的辈字：
与候选谱一致之处：
不一致之处：
下一步核验：

Download Blank Record Sheet