Genealogy Research

Create lists of your ancestors with these expert-approved numbering systems, such as Ahnentafel, d’Aboville, and NGSQ.

Create lists of your ancestors with these expert-approved numbering systems, such as Ahnentafel, d’Aboville, and NGSQ.

Use these tips and records to study the social history that informed your ancestor’s daily life and decisions, such as the economy, disease, and weather.

To a genealogist, a name can mean everything. To those who collect signature quilts, a name can be just the starting point. Here, we’ll explain more about these unique keepsakes.

We’ll show you the “other side” of Jewish genealogy, which for too long has been Eastern European-centric, and help you discover your Sephardic family history.

Boost your research with the top family history research tips from our archives.

The following strategies can help you identify family members before 1850. Each offers favorite databases for early American research and examples of what you may find. With a little practice, you’ll soon be dusting off long-buried details that bring your family’s pre-1850s history back to vivid life.

The Melungeon people from Appalachia can be tough for descendants to trace. Learn some origin theories and tips for starting your research.

These simple family history projects will help you use your research in new and exciting ways, with practical tips and strategies for publishing your genealogy in a report or blog, printing decorative family trees, saving your research in the cloud and more. You can also get the whole family excited about ancestry with this eBook's family-friendly genealogy projects for kids.

These simple family history projects will help you use your research in new and exciting ways, with practical tips and strategies for publishing your genealogy in a report or blog, printing decorative family trees, saving your research in the cloud and more. You can also get the whole family excited about ancestry with this eBook's family-friendly genealogy projects for kids.

An unusual surname is a valuable tool for a genealogist. Discover six strategies to use oddball names in your tree to your greatest advantage.

Here’s your guide to planning an orderly, comprehensive and time-flexible series of essential family history tasks for the coming year. And we’ve broken each goal into several achievable steps. Choose one task each month if your time is short, or go all-out and try several. Re-order the monthly assignments as needed to fit your schedule, lifestyle and budget. The important thing is to keep your genealogy calendar time slot full of family history tasks you love (or need) to do.

Achieve your genealogy goals with this year-long research plan. Follow the monthly prompts, or simply choose what tasks inspire you most and get started!

One of history’s darkest eras has created a rich but controversial set of records. Here's how to understand and use genealogy documents from Nazi Germany.

Over 830 million records are free at Findmypast. Here’s what you can access and how to find it. Especially great for genealogy beginners and those with Irish Catholic roots!

Whether you’re a beginner genealogist or a veteran, you won’t get far if you don’t understand the lingo. Build your genealogical vocabulary with this glossary.