Family History Daily
  • Find & Use Free Resources
  • Genealogy Tutorials & Guides
No Result
View All Result
  • Research Help by Topic
  • Beginner Guides
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Free Genealogy Sites
  • Online Courses
 
This site uses cookies to implement some features. By continuing, you agree to their use and our privacy & cookie policy.
Family History Daily
  • Research Help by Topic
  • Beginner Guides
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Free Genealogy Sites
  • Online Courses
No Result
View All Result
Family History Daily
No Result
View All Result

Can’t Find Your Ancestor? 6 Tips for More Effective Genealogy Searches

  • 8,871shares

There are few things more frustrating or discouraging than spending days, weeks or even years looking for a specific detail about an ancestor and coming up with nothing. And while it is certainly possible that what you are looking for simply does not exist, it’s also possible that a few changes to the way you search may turn up surprising results.

Whether you’re using a huge family history resource like FamilySearch or Ancestry, or digging around on smaller research sites, here are 6 tips that have helped us locate records.

Make Instant Discoveries in Your Family Tree Now
Imagine adding your family tree to a simple website and getting hundreds of new family history discoveries instantly.

MyHeritage is offering 2 free weeks of access to their extensive collection of 9 billion historical records, as well as their matching technology that instantly connects you with new information about your ancestors. Sign up using the link below to find out what you can uncover about your family.
Discover New Genealogy Records Instantly

1. Search Databases Individually

While it is certainly convenient that the large sites allow you to search all of their records at one time, it may not be the best way to find what you’re looking for. Searching every database on a site at one time means that a massive amount of records must be sorted through and presented to you to choose from. That means that relevant results can easily get lost in the mix.

On most large research sites, such as FamilySearch or Ancestry, the easiest way to search specific collections is to type in your search and then use the left sidebar to filter the results by type, location, or date. This will drastically narrow your results and help you turn up the details you need. Some sites make it easy to find individual databases and search those specifically as well. Take full advantage of these options because you might be surprised what details get lost in the mix when searching too broadly.

2. Focus on One Piece of Information at a Time

This advice may seem obvious, but it can easily be forgotten in the excitement of the hunt–and in the hopes that casting a wide net will reveal unknown facts and hidden details. Certainly, searching for every possible detail about your ancestor to see what comes up can be fun and beneficial–but when you’re stuck and feeling like your search is fruitless, zeroing in one single chunk of data can clear the way.

Advertisement

To find results more effectively, decide on one piece of information that you want to know–such as a birth date or the cemetery of burial. Now, write down all of the details that may help you locate that data–what do you already know? Who might have what you need? Lay these details out clearly in a notepad. Once you have the facts you need to help you written out clearly, start your search for the one fact you have chosen to look for.

Do not get sidetracked. Save any other interesting information that you may turn up for later, and keep working on the one piece of information only. If the records you are looking through turn up nothing, tweak your search again and again until you are satisfied that you have explored every angle.

Remember to think creatively, especially concerning the spelling of names or dates of events. If you still have not found what you are looking for, try another database, there are many free ones–but stay focused on the goal and don’t give up.

It helps to keep a clear list of specific facts you are in need of and rotate through them to avoid burn out–but when you pick one on your list to search for, stick to it for as long as you can to increase the chances of finding what you need. Focus = Reward

I cannot tell you how many times using tips one and two together have helped me uncover information I had almost given up on finding.

3. Use Boolean Searches

This sounds complicated, but it is not, and it is very effective. It is a simple method for increasing the relevancy of results in just about any database by using words or symbols to refine your request (ie AND, OR or NOT). The Colorado State University has a wonderful, fast tutorial on how you can use boolean searches to help you become a better researcher. I have especially found that the NOT and OR operators can be useful in genealogy research.

Example: Mary Sweft OR Swaft born 1847 NOT Swift

9 Billion Genealogy Records Are Free for 2 Weeks
Get two full weeks of free access to more than 9 billion genealogy records right now. You’ll also gain access to the MyHeritage discoveries tool that locates information about your ancestors automatically when you upload or create a tree. What will you discover about your family’s past?

Claim My 2 Week Free Access

Here is our guide for making the most of Google searches using their special operators.

4. Try Wildcards

I won’t even try to explain this here since Bob Vornlocker as already done such a great job of it on Family History Daily in his article How Wildcard Searches Can Uncover Ancestors. I suggest reading it for some wonderful suggestions.

5. Search Many Databases

As mentioned above, there are many, many wonderful free genealogy resources available online now. And the list grows every day. Many have records only found on their site. We just compiled a collection of 50 free genealogy sites that we really love, and that is only the beginning of what you can find online. It can be easy to limit yourself to your favorite resources–but leaving your comfort zone and exploring new sites may open doors you never even new existed.

6. Go Offline

If you’re stuck, don’t be afraid to search offline for the records you need. This may mean visiting your local library’s genealogy or history reading room, a nearby historical society or a Family Search Center where you will have access to billions of records you simply cannot get ahold of online. Most of these establishments have smart and helpful volunteers that are eager to help you uncover you family’s story.

Get 30 Days of Genealogy Tips Free

What might you learn with 30 days of expert genealogy research tips delivered straight to your inbox?

Subscribe below and you'll receive one helpful genealogy tip every day for thirty days. Easily discover new research techniques, record collections and resources. You'll also receive our free weekly newsletter so that you can stay up-to-date on our newest articles.

This is a FREE offering from Family History Daily to help you with your research. Unsubscribe at any time.

You're almost ready to start receiving tips! Simply confirm your email address to complete your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

In some cases, uncovering data may be as simple as ordering a print copy of a record that has not yet been digitized. Most states and counties make this a pretty painless process by placing their indexes available online–often with a convenient ordering system. The prices for some records are very reasonable. A recent search on the Minnesota Historical Society turned up a record with details I had been hunting for for years–$9 and a week later and I had the record in my hands.


This article is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ideas for breaking down bricks walls and uncovering “missing” family history data. Use what you can and don’t be afraid to mix up your research routine or ask for help from an expert when you need it. You may not always find exactly what you are looking for, but there is a good likelihood you will uncover something you can use. You might also enjoy taking a genealogy research course to learn even more advanced strategies and fun ways to find your ancestors online.

We’d love to hear your tips for better genealogy searches.

By Melanie Mayo – Editor, Family History Daily

Originally published Feb 2015

Featured Image: “African American woman, half-length portrait, facing right” 1899 or 1900, Library of Congress

  • 8,871shares

Get Our Articles By Email Each Week

Stay up-to-date with Family History Daily's newest genealogy articles by subscribing to our free weekly newsletter.

Thank you. To begin receiving the free weekly newsletter please take a moment to check your email and confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
Previous Post

Why These Draft Cards are Such an Important Addition to Your Family Tree

Next Post

5 Uncommon Places to Find Your Ancestors' Missing Parents

Related Posts

What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You How to Avoid Missed Details About Your Ancestors
Help and How-To

This Straightforward Technique Will Help You Uncover Missed Facts About Your Ancestors

5 Genealogy Questions That Took Me 30 Years to Answer
Help and How-To

5 Genealogy Questions That Took Me 30 Years to Answer

Help and How-To

Ancestry.com’s “Location Traps” Are Causing Researchers to Miss Important Records

Are You Making the Direct-Line Mistake in Your Family Tree?
Help and How-To

Are You Making the Direct-Line Mistake in Your Family Tree?

15 Ways to Solve Your Family History Mystery Once and for All
Help and How-To

15 Ways to Solve Your Family History Mystery Once and for All

Why You Should Reexamine Every Single Genealogy Record You Have
Help and How-To

Why You Should Stop Your Research and Reexamine Every Single Genealogy Record You Have

Load More

Comments 12

  1. Sutton Turner says:
    6 months ago

    I like how you suggested searching databases individually. I have been looking for my ancestors and wondering about my family history. Thanks for the tips on more effective genealogy searches.

    Reply
  2. Ann Elizabeth Wilder says:
    1 year ago

    I often feel that if American Ancestors (NEHGS) does not have much info on Thomas Wyelder-Wilder then those experts have check it all and there is nothing. Is this a fallacious assumption?

    Reply
  3. Joan Abram says:
    1 year ago

    My trouble is trying to find my grandmothers mother Mary Angeline Lawrence in Arkansas in the early 1900s. I’ve looked everywhere and nothing. Please help me.

    Reply
  4. Natalie says:
    1 year ago

    I’m having a really hard time because family search doesn’t have anything on my son’s paternal side neither does any other website. Ancestry has the most but not what I’m looking for. His grandfather’s real father’s name. I don’t know how to go about finding it. According to family his middle name was actually his real last name. I’ve searched and searched and nothing.

    Reply
  5. roxanne needham says:
    3 years ago

    I had a really hard time with my relative named awalt. im not jewish, but i went to jewishgenweb and found All of them. So happy!

    Reply
    • Rick Reinckens says:
      3 years ago

      Two things:

      1) A lot of people–PARTICULARLY JEWS–change their names when they move to a new country to avoid sounding “foreign”. Jews in particular also do it to avoid discrimination and antisemitism.

      2) Particularly in previous generations, it was very common for people who knew they had Jewish ancestry to not mention it to children and if it was brought up even to deny such ancestry.

      Reply
  6. Rick Reinckens says:
    3 years ago

    I spent about SEVEN YEARS looking for my mother’s family in the 1930 U.S. Census for New York City. I tried wildcards, different spellings, etc. The surname was Erenzo but I knew an Italian cursive E looked like an American cursive G, so I also looked for Grenzo and Grenza, with no luck.

    Then one day I realized … how many families would there be with a daughter named Josephine, a son named Vincent, and a mother named SANTELLA? I looked without a surname and only with those first names and found it immediately! It turned out they had the name as Gorenzo. I had never tried looking TWO initial wrong letters rather than one.

    Unfortunately, that did not work on my father’s side of the family. The names were Joseph, Charles, Anna and Bernard (which was a common name in the 1915-1940 time period), so I got hundreds of results.

    Reply
  7. A Potter says:
    3 years ago

    Most of your ancestors did military service. I found a gggg-grandfather lost for 100 years in “American Soldiers in the Frontier Wars.” Others can be found at http://www.fold3.com.

    Reply
  8. Marsha Aragon says:
    4 years ago

    I have had success searching newspapers. Even when the subscription is free often I get the name and date of printing of the newspaper and the name of person. Happy hunting.

    Reply
  9. Marilyn Sliva says:
    4 years ago

    I found that recently myself, Pam Barton. My father’s family came here from Czechoslovakia in 1906 and they are in almost every city directory after that until they died, yet I couldn’t find them in the 1910 census – just started at 1920. So, I went to the Steve Morse website & entered the address (from the City Directory) and got the Enumeration district & went page by page and found them! Their name is POZDECH and was written by the census person (and indexed) as PAXCLECH. Sometimes it just takes a little more work. Now have to work on that for my McGuire side.

    Reply
  10. Sophia Pradal says:
    4 years ago

    I agree with Pam, so many of my Québécois ancestors somehow have anglicized or terribly mangled spellings of their names by English enumerators not speaking French and Francophone residents not speaking English. -Still beyond me how grandpa Ernest was entered as Airness ! My Italian great-grand-parents, the De Luca where entered as De Luka in the Brooklyn NY census – their neighborhood was primarily Germans and Austrians…now, I can understand how Genoveffa was entered as Genove, but don’t ask me why Antonio was entered as Dona…!

    I’ve also gone paragraph by paragraph for birth/marriage/death records and found 4 siblings of my grand-father that my Mom and aunts didn’t know about.
    I also read the whole paragraph even if the entry is not of my ancestor’s, I found relatives listed as witnesses to birth/marriages/burials – my Italian great grand father was a simple peasant but was often a witness at births & burials so it still gave me a sense of pride knowing he was a trusted, sought-after member of his community and he could write his name!
    Searching surrounding towns/villages or relative’s towns can also uncover some surprises like one couple had their children baptized in one town but there was a 4 year gap between the siblings, I found the “gap” child baptized in the mother’s parent’s town –
    Lastly, going page by page made me find erroneously categorized records like Marriages from 1821-1823 inserted amongst the Births of 1833 (these digitized records were not yet indexed, thus not “searcheable”).
    cheers,

    Reply
  11. Pam Barton says:
    4 years ago

    On a lot of the census records I look at I have notice and have found that many of my own records the names are horribly mis-interpeted they don’t show up for the name I’m looking for but if I go page by page I find the family I’m looking for, a J might be an I or S and it really changes the name I know its hard to read some of the hand writings but really ie (John is misspelled Sohn) Sometimes I will have to go thru 50/60 census records and it is time consuming but I have found many of my family doing this. If I know a family was in a area in say 1850 and 1870 they are there again probably the 1860 census was not translated right I don’t know of a way around this I have typed in a first name and age and sometimes something will pop up but I have discovered its easier just to go thru record by record

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Why You Should Quit Attaching Records To Your Family Tree, and What to Do Instead
Help and How-To

Why You Need to Quit Attaching Records to Your Family Tree, and What to Do Instead

Help and How-To

Ancestry.com’s “Location Traps” Are Causing Researchers to Miss Important Records

Another Person's Family Tree is Not a Valid Source - Woman Researching at Her Laptop
Help and How-To

Another Person’s Family Tree is Not a Valid Source

You Know You're a Genealogist When...
Help and How-To

You Know You’re a Genealogist When…

Why MyHeritage's DNA Upload May Be the Smartest Thing You Do for Your Research This Week_
Help and How-To

MyHeritage’s Free DNA Upload Can Help You Grow Your Tree: Here’s How

The 10 Most Important Record Collections for Irish Genealogy Research
Free Genealogy Resources

The 10 Collections You Need to Know for Irish Genealogy Research

Why Getting to Know an Ancestor's Location Can Be a Research Game Changer
Help and How-To

Why Getting to Know an Ancestor’s Location Can Be a Research Game Changer

Family History

Confusing Military Terms from the American Revolution and Civil War Period Explained

  • About Family History Daily
  • Privacy and Cookie Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2013-2019 Family History Daily

No Result
View All Result
  • Newest Articles
  • Lists of Free Genealogy Sites
  • Help Using Free Records
  • How-To Articles & Guides
  • Research Help by Topic
  • Beginner Guides
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Online Courses

© 2013-2019 Family History Daily

*/

Send this to a friend