The Soundex is a coded surname index based on the way a surname sounds rather than how it's spelled. Surnames that sound the same but are spelled differently, like Gilligan and Giligan, have the same code and are filed together. The Soundex coding system was developed to find a surname even though it may have been recorded under various spellings.
The Bureau of the Census used two separate Soundex cards, the family card and the individual card. Both types of cards are arranged numerically by the Soundex code and then alphabetically by the first name of the head of the household on the family cards and the first name of the individual on the individual cards.
The family card is arranged by the name of the head of the household. The individual card gives the names of people other than those in the immediate household that are enumerated with a family. These include grandparents, cousins, boarders and servants. The card also shows the name of the head of the household or the institution name where the person is living.
The Soundex Code for the surname GILLIGAN is G425.
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