Family tree history is the practice of researching and documenting your ancestors, typically displayed as a chart that branches out from you to your parents, grandparents, and beyond. It combines personal records, historical documents, and increasingly DNA testing to build a picture of who your relatives were and where they came from.
What Is a Family Tree?
A family tree is a visual representation of lineage, showing how individuals are connected through blood and marriage. The most common format places you at the base or center, with branches extending upward or outward to earlier generations. Standard trees include names, dates of birth and death, and places of residence, but they can also hold photos, occupations, and military service records.
Genealogists use a standard numbering system called the Ahnentafel (German for “ancestor table”) to track generations without drawing a chart. In this system, you are number 1, your father is 2, your mother is 3, your paternal grandparents are 4 and 5, and so on. This allows researchers to share data compactly and compare notes without visual clutter.
How Family Tree Research Works
Building a family tree usually starts with yourself and works backward, generation by generation. You begin with what you know—your parents’ names and birth dates—then verify each fact with a reliable source. Common sources include:
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates
- U.S. federal census records (available every ten years from 1790 to 1950)
- Church baptism and burial registers
- Immigration and naturalization papers
- Draft registration cards and military records
- Newspaper obituaries and wedding announcements
- Family Bibles and personal letters
Once you have a generation documented, you repeat the process for each parent. This is why family trees are often described as “brick walls” when you hit a missing record—perhaps a surname changed, a birth was never registered, or a courthouse fire destroyed the documents.
Choosing a Genealogy Website or Tool
Most beginners start with a commercial genealogy website because they offer searchable indexes of digitized records. The two largest are Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. Ancestry is subscription-based and includes billions of records plus user-uploaded family trees. FamilySearch is free and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with a similar collection but a less polished interface.
Other useful tools include Findmypast (strong for British and Irish records), MyHeritage (popular in Europe and Israel), and Fold3 (focused on military records). For DNA testing, the major companies are AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and FamilyTreeDNA. Each has its own database of customers, so your results will vary depending on who has tested.
When choosing a platform, consider which region your ancestors came from. Ancestry has the largest U.S. collection, while Findmypast is better for the UK and Ireland. If you are unsure, start with FamilySearch because it is free and you can later export your tree as a GEDCOM file—a universal format that all major programs can import.
Common Problems and How to Solve Them
Every genealogist faces the same recurring issues:
- Common names: “John Smith” or “Mary Brown” appear dozens of times in the same county. Use the middle name, occupation, or a spouse’s name to narrow down the right person.
- Spelling variations: Surnames were often spelled phonetically by clerks. Search using wildcards (e.g., “Schmidt” or “Smith” or “Smit”) and try alternate first letters.
- Missing records: Fire, flood, and war destroyed many courthouses. Look for church records or probate files as substitutes.
- Conflicting dates: A tombstone might say 1890 while a census says 1888. Record both and note the source; later evidence may resolve the discrepancy.
- Adoption and step-parents: Family trees can include biological and legal parents. Label relationships clearly to avoid confusion.
A common misconception is that your DNA test will provide a complete family tree. In reality, DNA matches only suggest a connection—you still need documentary evidence to confirm the exact relationship. A shared segment of DNA could come from a common ancestor five generations back or from a distant cousin you have not identified yet.
Costs of Building a Family Tree
The cost varies widely depending on your approach. A completely free tree is possible using FamilySearch, local libraries, and state archives. Many public libraries subscribe to Ancestry Library Edition, which gives you access to the same records as a home subscription but only while you are in the library.
If you subscribe to Ancestry, the U.S. Discovery plan costs roughly $25–$40 per month, but annual plans are cheaper. DNA tests range from about $60 to $200, with 23andMe and AncestryDNA typically around $100. Some companies offer add-ons like health reports for an extra fee.
Beyond subscriptions, you may pay for copies of certificates from vital records offices (usually $5–$30 each) or hire a professional genealogist. Professional rates vary, but expect to pay $50–$100 per hour for research.
DNA Testing and What It Adds
Autosomal DNA tests (from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and FamilyTreeDNA) analyze your 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes. They compare your DNA to thousands of other customers and estimate your ethnic percentages. They also list “matches”—people who share a common ancestor within roughly five to eight generations.
Y-DNA tests (only for men) trace the paternal line through the Y chromosome, and mitochondrial DNA tests trace the maternal line through the mother’s side. These are more expensive and less commonly used by beginners, but they can confirm a specific surname line or deep ancestral origin.
DNA results are estimates, not exact percentages. Your “Scandinavian” 20% could be misread Viking DNA from the British Isles. Treat ethnicity estimates as a starting point, not a final answer.
Privacy and Ethical Concerns
DNA testing raises serious privacy issues. When you upload your raw DNA to a company, you are also revealing information about your biological relatives—even those who never tested. In the United States, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects against discrimination in health insurance and employment, but it does not cover life insurance or long-term care insurance.
Before testing, read the company’s privacy policy. Most allow you to opt out of law enforcement matching, but not all do. In 2018, police used a public genealogy database (GEDmatch) to identify the Golden State Killer, which sparked a national debate. If you are uncomfortable with that possibility, choose a company that explicitly requires consent for such searches.
Also, be prepared for unexpected discoveries. DNA tests can reveal adoptions, infidelity, or half-siblings you never knew existed. Many companies offer the option to hide your results from matches, but once you see a surprise, you cannot unsee it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back can I trace my family tree?
For most people, reliable paper records extend back to the 1700s or early 1800s, depending on the country. In Europe, church records may go back to the 1500s. Beyond that, you are relying on noble or royal lines that were documented by historians, or on DNA estimates that give only a rough geographic origin.
Is it better to start with DNA or paper records?
Start with paper records. They give you names, dates, and places that you can verify. DNA is a powerful supplement, but it cannot tell you who your great-grandmother was—only that you share DNA with someone who might be her descendant.
Why do I have different results on AncestryDNA and 23andMe?
Each company uses its own reference populations and algorithms. Your DNA is the same, but the way it is compared to different groups of people produces slightly different percentages. The differences are usually small, but they can be confusing. It is normal to see 5–10% variation between companies.
Can I build a family tree for free?
Yes. FamilySearch.org is completely free, and many local libraries offer free access to Ancestry Library Edition. You can also find many records on free websites like Find A Grave, the Internet Archive, and state archives. The main cost is your time.
What does a “brick wall” mean in genealogy?
A brick wall is a point in your research where you cannot find a document that connects one generation to the next. It might be due to a common name, a burned courthouse, or an ancestor who changed their name. Solving it often requires lateral thinking—searching for siblings, neighbors, or land records.
How do I cite sources in my family tree?
Every fact should have a citation that tells you where you found it. A standard format is: source type, title, date, and repository. For a census, you would write: “1920 U.S. Census, Cook County, Illinois, population schedule, Chicago Ward 7, Enumeration District 103, sheet 4B, dwelling 78, family 89, John Smith; National Archives, Washington, D.C.” This allows you or others to find the record again.
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