In studying Chamorro genealogy, I take great interest in noting the popularity of first names and surnames. However, for this census, I did not attempt to compile popular surnames because the majority of surnames had less than 20 common surnames. In addition, Chamorros only had first names until baptized. Once baptized with a Christian name, their Chamorro name became their surname, leaving many immediate families with different surnames. This is a genealogy challenge to reconstruct family trees and bridge the generation gaps between the 18th and the 19th Century.
Above, is a sample entry of what can be expected in a book I am working on and hope to have it published in about two or three years from now. Still working on transcribing the 1940 Census….sigh….
However in 2012, I published the “Surname Index: 1727 General Census of the Mariana Islands,” which is available as an E-Book App for the Mac or Windows PC and downloadable for $20.
