The primary name or person in a historical record refers to the person at the center of the event. Most historical records contain just one primary name.
The chart shows common record types and the primary person for each one.
Record Type | Primary Person |
| Birth certificate | The name of the person who was born. |
| Marriage certificate | The names of both spouses. |
| Census | The name of the head of household. |
| Death certificate | The name of the person who died. |
| Obituary | The name of the person who died. |
| Will | The name of the testator. |
| Deed | The name of the grantor and the grantee. |
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