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Master Surname List

   The Master Surname List can be reached by clicking the down arrow next to any surname field, or by choosing Master Lists > Surname from the View tab on the Ribbon bar.

The Master Surname List contains all the surnames that are being used in the current Family File.  Legacy only records one copy of each different surname and points any use of it to its entry in the list.  This saves a lot of disk storage space by eliminating duplications.

Selecting a Surname from the List
To select a particular surname, click on it and click the Select button.  You can also select a surname by double clicking.

Adding New Surnames
When you enter a surname in a Last Name field, Legacy checks to see if the name is already in the Master Surname List.  If it is not found, it is added to the list.  Depending on the setting in Options, you may or may not be prompted for confirmation.  (See Options for more information.)  When the Master Surname List is displayed, you can add new surnames by clicking the Add button.  This pops up a small form where you can type in the new name, which is then added to the list. 

Editing Surnames
You can change the spelling of any surname in the Master Surname List by selecting it and clicking the Edit button.  Remember, however, that a change to a surname in the master list affects all references to it.

Other Options
Clicking the Options button displays a shortcut menu where you can choose from the following options:
  • Deleting -  If an entry in the master list is not being used, you can remove it from the list by highlighting it and choosing the Delete option.  Legacy confirms that the entry is not being used and removes it from the list.  If one or more records are referencing the entry, it cannot be removed.  In this case, Legacy offers to display a list of all records currently using the entry.
  • Tag and Untag -  You can tag (and untag) the entries in the list.  This can be done one at a time or include the entire list.
  • Combining Duplicate Entries -  When correcting misspelled entries, you may find that you end up with duplicates within the Master List.  To remove these duplicates and clean up the list, choose the Combine option.  Legacy then goes through the list, combines the duplicates and moves the links.
  • Purging Unused -  To remove unused entries from the Master List, choose the Purge option.  Legacy checks each entry to see if it is being used.  If not, it is removed from the list.
  • Import -  You can import a list of surnames from a different Family File by choosing the Import option.  Legacy prompts for the name of the other Family File and then loads its list.
  • Printing the List -  You can print the contents of the list by choosing Print...  The list will appear in the Print Preview window where you can view it and print a copy.
  • Page Setup - You can change page orientation, margins, paper size, and font size before printing a report.
  • Zoom - You can change the font size of the master list grid.
  • Jump with Edit Sorting - When you edit an entry, it is immediately resorted into its new position in the Master List.  Sometimes this moves the edited entry far away from the current position.  You can choose to have the current position move to the new point in the list or to just stay where you were and move to the next entry.  If there is a checkmark next to the Jump with Edit Sorting option, the current position will move to the newly sorted position of the edited entry.  If there is no checkmark next to the option in the shortcut menu, the current position will just move down to the next entry.  Clicking the option toggles the checkmark on and off.
  • Bookmarks -  If you are working your way down the Master List, you can drop a bookmark to save your place until you return to resume the process.  Click Set Bookmark to drop a bookmark.  Click Go To Bookmark to return to the previously set bookmark.

    Show List…
    You can display a list containing all the individuals who use the highlighted surname by clicking Show List…  The people who show in this list can then be tagged if desired.

    Combining Multiple Surnames
    If you find two or more surnames in the master list that should be the same, you can combine them into one "good" entry.  This is very easy to do in Legacy.  To combine multiple surnames:

    1. Choose one of the surnames that you want to keep.  
    2. Highlight all the other surnames in the group.  If the group is contiguous, you can highlight the top surname and then hold down the shift key while you click on the bottom surname.  The entire group will then be highlighted.  If the various surnames are not in a continuous block, highlight the first one and then press and hold down the Ctrl key while to click on each of the other surnames in the group.  Each one will remain highlighted as you click the others.
    3. Click the large button at the bottom of the window named Combine the highlighted surname with another surname in the list.  The caption on the button will now change to read Highlight the destination, then click this button.
    4. Highlight the "good" surname line by clicking on it.
    5. Click the large button at the bottom again.  All the "bad" surnames are then combined with the "good" one and all the records in your family file that were pointing to the "bad" ones now point to the "good" one… (saving you potentially hours of editing).


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