The Soundex Coding System was originally used by the US Social Security Administration in the 1930s to compile indexes to the US census records for each state. The purpose was to identify individuals applying for old age benefits, but who had no birth record or other proof of age.
The Soundex Coding System was developed so that you could find a surname (or a first name) even though it may have been recorded under various spellings. Surnames that sound the same but are spelt differently, like Smith or Smyth, have the same code and are therefore filed together. Each Soundex code consists of a letter and three numbers, such as S530 for Smith.
© Trevor Hanson 9-Mar-2006 E. & O. E.