Have you ever found out things through your genealogy research that made you raise an eyebrow, or two? How about something that made you pick up the phone, call a family member, and say “guess what!?” These are mine.
Wondering how common a last name is? Whether you’re in the process of researching your surname because you’re building your family tree, or are just curious how popular your name is, you’re in luck. Every year, the US Census Bureau gets numerous inquiries about the frequency of names, first and last, and has been kind …
Can’t find the genealogy record you need online? Here’s how to discover and order it from a physical repository.
Second cousin, or first cousin once removed? These relationships are confusing to almost everyone, but the answer is simpler than you think.
Confused about what a suffix added to a name is, what is means and how it should be written? This short guide will help you make sense of it.
OK, OK, we promise this article is all in good fun. After all, we genealogists are usually fairly easy-going folks, and goodness knows we’re patient — after all, we’ve waited ten whole years for the 1950 census! But, alas, sometimes even the best of us let things get under our skin (even if we know we shouldn’t).
Whether you’re hoping to find the obituary, death or funeral notice of someone dear to you, or to uncover more facts about an ancestor, the following guide will help you locate the records you’re looking for.
Why is it that we, as family historians, often do a poor job of preserving our own personal histories for the generations to come?
If you’re just starting to build your family tree, or if you’ve simply put it aside due to frustration or defeat, listen up. You’re not alone in your family history challenges, and perhaps having a better understanding up front of what to expect down the road will help you overcome them.
Abbreviations are frequently found in genealogical research, but they can be incredibly confusing. This guide will help you make sense of them, with definitions for more than 300 commonly found selections.