Sometimes a person may be listed by his nickname, his middle name, or an abbreviated first name and this will keep you from getting a match. If you search for Joseph Smith, it will not match Jo. Smith or J. Hiram Smith if that is how he is listed in the database. If you are using a search with location, try the search without the location. The database may have missing or incorrect geographic information, or the location may not be where you think it is.
Spelling Is Important.
Sometimes a person's first name may be misspelled or abbreviated in the database you are searching. Check to make sure you have typed the name correctly into the search box. Try spelling variations even if you believe that your surname was always spelled the same way. A lot of times clerks and census takers used some very creative spelling and also, difficult to read or faded handwriting may have been transcribed incorrectly. Remember, to a search engine Smith and Smithe is NOT a match unless you use a soundex search.