Your First 30 Days of Family History Research
A week-by-week plan for starting your family tree the right way, from interviewing relatives to finding your first census record.
Getting Started
The first steps, habits and free tools every family tree is built on.
How to Read the U.S. Federal Census (1790–1950)
What each federal census asked, which years are most useful, and how to get every clue out of a census page.
Organizing Your Research So You Never Lose a Find
A simple system for files, notes and research logs that keeps your family history from turning into a pile of unlabeled downloads.
Second Cousins, Once Removed: Relationship Terms Made Simple
What "first cousin once removed" actually means, how to work out any relationship in two steps, and why it matters for DNA matches.
Free vs. Paid Genealogy Sites: What You Actually Need
How far you can get without paying, the free back doors into paid databases, and when a subscription is worth it.
How to Use Online Family Trees Without Copying Their Mistakes
Other people's trees can be great leads or the fastest way to fill your tree with errors. How to tell the difference.
Interviewing Relatives: The Questions That Unlock Family History
Your older relatives know things no record will ever tell you. How to prepare, what to ask, how to record it, and what to do with the answers.
Which DNA Test Should You Take? A Plain-English Guide
Autosomal, Y-DNA or mitochondrial? Ancestry, MyHeritage, 23andMe or FamilyTreeDNA? What each test can and can't tell you, and how to get the most for your money.
Your Public Library: The Most Underrated Tool in Genealogy
Your library card can unlock paid genealogy databases for free, plus local history collections, interlibrary loan and expert reference help. Here's how to use all of it.
Where Did My Ancestor Go? Finding Someone Who Vanishes Between Records
Your ancestor is in the 1880 census and missing from 1900. Before you assume the worst, work through the most common reasons people disappear from records, and where to find them again.
Why Can't I Find My Ancestor in the Index? Search Tricks That Work
Misspellings, misread handwriting and transcription errors hide millions of ancestors from name searches. Wildcards, Soundex, sideways searches and browsing will find most of them.
Recording Names, Dates and Places the Right Way
Hospital town or hometown? Maiden name or married name? County then or county now? Simple conventions that keep your family tree clear, consistent and easy for others to use.
Was Our Name Changed at Ellis Island? Where Name Changes Really Happened
Many families believe an immigration inspector changed their surname. The records tell a different story. How names really changed, and how to find the original.
The "Cherokee Princess" and Other Family Legends: How to Test a Family Story
Royal ancestors, three brothers who came over, a famous relative, a Native American great-grandmother. How to respectfully test family legends, and what the records usually show.
Does Our Surname Have a Coat of Arms? Heraldry vs. Surname Merchandise
Mugs and plaques sold with a "family crest" for your surname aren't what they seem. How heraldry actually works, and how to find out whether an ancestor really had arms.
Old Family Photos: How to Date and Identify Them
A box of unlabeled photos is a puzzle you can solve. How to date a photo from its type, the photographer's studio, clothing and hairstyles, and how to work out who's in it.
Preserving and Scanning Family Papers, Bibles and Photos
How to store, handle and digitize family documents and photographs so they last another hundred years, without expensive equipment.
Owning Your Research: Family Tree Software, GEDCOM and Backups
If your tree lives only on a website, you don't fully control it. How to keep your own copy with desktop software and GEDCOM files, and how to back up years of work.
How to Ask for Genealogy Help Online and Get Good Answers
Volunteers on forums, Facebook groups and Reddit solve hard problems every day. How to write a question that gets answered, where to post it, and how to protect living relatives' privacy.
Writing to DNA Matches: Messages That Get Replies
Most DNA match messages go unanswered. How to write a short, friendly message that gets a reply, what to share and not share, and what to do when no one answers.
Nicknames and Naming Patterns: Why Polly Was Mary and Patsy Was Martha
Old nicknames that look nothing like the formal name, traditional naming patterns that can predict grandparents' names, and other naming customs that can help or trip you up.
Find the records
Websites and archives for this topic are in our Resource Directory under Major Genealogy Databases.
Other topics
Getting Started 21Census Records 16Birth, Marriage & Death Records 15Church Records 12Cemeteries & Burials 2Newspapers & Obituaries 3Land & Property Records 7Wills, Probate & Court Records 13Tax Records 3Military Records 5Immigration & Naturalization 12DNA & Genetic Genealogy 9Libraries & Archives 8Research in the Old Country 10African American Research 2Research Methods & Evidence 31Brick Walls 11Organizing Your Research 7Online Sites & Family Trees 11