Have you ever wondered where your ancestors lived, what they did for a living, or why they left one country to begin a new life somewhere else?
When I was younger, I rarely thought beyond my parents and grandparents. As I grew older, however, the unanswered questions became more important. I wanted to know where my family came from, what challenges my ancestors faced, and how their decisions helped shape the family I know today.
That curiosity is often where genealogy begins.
Tracing your ancestry can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Millions of historical records are now available online, yet many of the most valuable clues are still found in family collections, local archives, libraries, churches, courthouses, and records that have never been indexed.
The following 25 resources and strategies will help you build a more accurate family tree, find records that ordinary name searches miss, and uncover the stories behind your ancestors.
Before You Begin: Follow the Genealogy Research Process
Successful genealogy is not simply a matter of collecting names from online family trees. Use a consistent process:
- Begin with yourself and work backward one generation at a time.
- Write a specific research question.
- Record what you already know.
- Search several different types of records.
- examine the original record image whenever possible.
- Compare information from multiple independent sources.
- Record where every fact came from.
- Separate proven facts from family stories and working theories.
A family tree without sources is only a collection of clues. Your goal is to create a tree supported by reliable evidence.
1. Interview Your Relatives
Your living relatives may possess information that has never appeared in an official record.
Interview parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and long-time family friends. Ask open-ended questions about:
- Full names, nicknames and maiden names
- Birthplaces and former residences
- Schools, occupations and military service
- Religious affiliations
- Immigration and migration stories
- Family traditions and celebrations
- People shown in old photographs
- Previous marriages and blended families
- Relatives who disappeared from family conversations
With permission, record the interview. Memories can be inaccurate, so treat each story as a clue that should be tested against other evidence.
2. Search Your Family’s Home Archive
Before paying for subscriptions, look through the records your family already owns.
Possible discoveries include:
- Birth, marriage and death certificates
- Funeral cards and obituaries
- Passports and immigration documents
- Military discharge papers
- School reports and yearbooks
- Property deeds and tax notices
- Diaries, calendars and address books
- Recipe books with handwritten names
- Photographs and albums
- Newspaper clippings
- Family reunion books
- Old emails and digital photographs
Scan or photograph important items and record who owns each original.
3. Examine Family Bibles, Letters and Cards
Family Bibles sometimes contain handwritten lists of births, marriages and deaths. Letters and greeting cards can reveal addresses, relationships, occupations, health problems and migration patterns.
Examine envelopes as carefully as the letters. Postmarks and return addresses may place a person in a particular community at a particular time.
Do not assume that every handwritten date is correct. Determine who wrote the information and whether it was recorded at the time of the event or many years later.
4. Use Civil Birth, Marriage and Death Records
Civil registrations are among the most important sources for building a documented family tree.
Depending on the country, province or state, these records may identify:
- Parents
- Maiden names
- Spouses
- Birthplaces
- Residences
- Occupations
- Witnesses
- Informants
- Causes of death
- Burial locations
Registration dates vary by jurisdiction. Ontario, for example, began province-wide civil registration in 1869. The Archives of Ontario currently provides historical birth registrations through 1920, marriages through 1945 and deaths through 1955; later registrations are held by the Office of the Registrar General. Archives of Ontario family-history resources
Always look at the original registration when available. A searchable index may omit parents, witnesses and other valuable information.
5. Investigate Church and Parish Registers
Before governments routinely registered vital events, churches often recorded baptisms, marriages and burials.
Church registers may provide:
- A child’s baptism and parents
- A family’s residence
- A father’s occupation
- Marriage witnesses
- The names of godparents or sponsors
- Burial dates
- Religious affiliation
Search the denomination your ancestor attended, but also investigate nearby churches. Families sometimes changed congregations, and the closest church may have belonged to a different parish or denomination.
For British ancestors, learn the parish, registration district, county and nearby parishes before beginning a broad name search.
6. Study Census and Population Records
Censuses can place an entire household in one location at a particular time. Depending on the year, they may reveal age, birthplace, occupation, religion, immigration year, citizenship, language, education and family relationships.
Useful collections include:
- Canadian censuses, including the 1931 Census
- United States federal censuses through 1950
- England and Wales censuses from 1841 through 1921
- Scotland and Ireland census collections
- State, provincial, territorial and local censuses
- Britain’s 1939 Register
The National Archives in Britain provides guidance for accessing the censuses of England and Wales from 1841 through 1921. UK census research guide
Never rely only on the index. Handwriting and transcription errors can significantly change a name.
7. Search FamilySearch Beyond the Name Box
FamilySearch provides free access to thousands of historical record collections, but its ordinary record search is only the beginning.
Also explore:
- The FamilySearch Catalog
- Browse-only image collections
- Genealogies
- Digital books
- The Research Wiki
- Maps and place-based guidance
- FamilySearch centres and affiliate libraries
The Catalog can locate records by place, subject, surname, author, title or digital image group number. Explore the FamilySearch Catalog
A search result is not the same as an original record. Open the image, read the complete entry and examine nearby pages.
8. Use FamilySearch Full-Text Search
One of the most important modern developments in online genealogy is AI-assisted full-text searching.
FamilySearch Full-Text Search can read text directly from many digitized documents that were never traditionally indexed. Its expanding collections include deeds, court files, probate material, military records, letters and other handwritten documents. FamilySearch Full-Text Search
Try searching for:
- A surname and township
- A married couple’s names
- A person and occupation
- A land description
- A neighbour or business partner
- An uncommon given name
- A street or village
AI-generated transcriptions can contain mistakes. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and verify everything against the image.
9. Explore Subscription Genealogy Websites
The major commercial websites provide access to different collections and search tools:
- Ancestry
- MyHeritage
- Findmypast
- American Ancestors
- Geneanet
- Fold3
for military records
- Newspapers.com
for historical newspapers
No single company holds every record. Before subscribing, examine its collection catalogue and determine whether it covers the locations, periods and record types you need.
Many public libraries provide free onsite access to selected subscription databases.
10. Visit National, Provincial and State Archives
Archives preserve many records that commercial genealogy websites do not have.
Depending on the jurisdiction, you may find:
- Land petitions
- Court files
- Wills and estates
- Military records
- Immigration documents
- Tax and assessment rolls
- Institutional records
- Government correspondence
- Maps and photographs
- School and municipal records
For Canadian research, consult Library and Archives Canada as well as the appropriate provincial or territorial archive. For British research, use The National Archives’ detailed research guides. For American families, the U.S. National Archives covers census, military, immigration, naturalization and federal land records. U.S. National Archives genealogy resources
Read the archive’s research guide before searching its catalogue. Archives organize material by the organization that created it, not necessarily by your ancestor’s name.
11. Use Local Libraries and Genealogy Collections
Local libraries can provide much more than books.
Their collections may include:
- Local newspapers
- City and county directories
- Cemetery transcriptions
- Local histories
- Family files
- Maps
- School yearbooks
- Community photographs
- Genealogical society publications
- Family-history databases
Ask whether the library has a local-history room or genealogy specialist. Some libraries will check an obituary, directory or newspaper reference for researchers who live elsewhere.
12. Search Historical Newspapers
Newspapers can transform a list of names and dates into a family story.
Look for:
- Birth and marriage announcements
- Obituaries and funeral notices
- Anniversary celebrations
- Accidents and illnesses
- Court cases
- Land sales
- Business advertisements
- School activities
- Military service
- Community visits and social news
Search spelling variations, initials, maiden names, street addresses, occupations and the names of relatives.
Optical character recognition frequently misreads faded or decorative print. If a name search fails, browse the newspaper by date or search for an address, employer or nearby relative.
13. Search City Directories, Telephone Books and Voter Lists
Directories can help track an ancestor between censuses.
They may provide:
- Home address
- Occupation
- Employer
- Spouse’s name
- Business ownership
- Widowhood
- Changes of residence
Follow the person year by year. A sudden disappearance may indicate death, migration, military service or a change in household.
Also search the address itself. You may discover relatives, boarders or business associates living at the same location.
14. Investigate Cemetery and Funeral-Home Records
Gravestones are useful, but they are only one part of cemetery research.
Consult:
- Find a Grave
- BillionGraves
- Cemetery offices
- Church burial registers
- Municipal cemetery databases
- Sexton records
- Funeral-home files
- Monument-company records
A cemetery office may hold burial permits, lot-owner information and records of other people buried in the same plot.
Remember that online memorials are often user-created. Verify dates, relationships and biographical claims using original sources.
15. Examine Wills, Probate and Estate Files
Probate records can identify spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, neighbours, creditors and property owners.
An estate file may contain:
- The will
- An inventory
- Probate applications
- Affidavits
- Guardianship arrangements
- Receipts
- Property descriptions
- Names and residences of heirs
Do not stop if your ancestor left no will. An intestate estate may still have generated valuable court records.
Ontario’s archival holdings include wills and estate files dating from 1785, with coverage through 1976 for most counties and later for certain areas. Archives of Ontario wills and estates
16. Follow Land and Property Records
Land records can distinguish between people with the same name and trace a family over many years.
Search for:
- Deeds
- Land grants
- Patents
- Mortgages
- Assessment rolls
- Township papers
- Homestead files
- Maps and atlases
- Abstract indexes
- Heir-and-devisee records
Read both the record in which your ancestor acquired the property and the one in which it was sold or transferred. The later transaction may identify heirs or show that the family had moved.
17. Research Immigration, Passenger and Border Records
Do not limit immigration research to Ellis Island. Ellis Island operated from 1892 to 1954, but millions of immigrants arrived before 1892, entered through other ports or crossed an international land border.
Search for:
- Passenger lists
- Border-crossing records
- Emigration-agent records
- Passport applications
- Shipping news
- Assisted-emigration schemes
- Alien registrations
- Detention records
- Naturalization files
- Canadian and American census clues
Build a timeline before searching. Estimate the arrival year from censuses, naturalization records, children’s birthplaces and the last record found in the country of origin.
Search every member of the family separately. A child, sibling or travelling companion may have been indexed more accurately than the person you are seeking.
18. Search Naturalization and Citizenship Files
Naturalization records can provide a birthplace, birth date, occupation, immigration date, ship, spouse, children and witnesses.
Record-keeping changed over time. In the United States, pre-1906 naturalizations may be scattered among municipal, county, state and federal courts. Later records may be held by the National Archives or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. U.S. naturalization research guidance
Canada also has provincial and federal citizenship and naturalization records. The Archives of Ontario, for example, holds immigration and naturalized-citizenship material covering portions of 1828 through 1979. Ontario immigration and citizenship records
19. Explore Military and Veterans’ Records
Military records may document more than wartime service.
Look for:
- Attestation and enlistment papers
- Service files
- Draft registrations
- Pension applications
- Casualty lists
- Medal records
- War diaries
- Discharge papers
- Veterans’ files
- Military cemetery records
Pension applications are particularly valuable because applicants often had to prove marriages, births, deaths and family relationships.
Search the records of siblings and adult children as well. Their files may identify parents or birthplaces that do not appear in your direct ancestor’s record.
20. Investigate Schools, Yearbooks and Institutional Records
Yearbooks can provide photographs, clubs, sports, achievements and friendships. School registers may identify a child’s age, address, parent or guardian and previous school.
Also investigate:
- Orphanages
- Workhouses
- Hospitals
- Asylums
- Poor-law institutions
- Children’s homes
- Apprenticeship programs
- Prisons
Use respectful language when documenting sensitive information. Historical terminology may be outdated or offensive, and institutional records can contain deeply personal details.
21. Study Historical Maps and Changing Place Names
Your ancestor may not have moved even though the name of the county, parish, district or country changed.
Use:
- Historical atlases
- Township maps
- Fire-insurance plans
- Boundary-change maps
- Gazetteers
- Ordnance Survey maps
- Parish maps
- Land-ownership maps
Identify neighbouring communities, churches, cemeteries, roads and county boundaries. Once you understand the historical geography, you can search the correct courthouse, parish, archive or registration district.
22. Research Your Ancestor’s Community
When direct searches fail, investigate the people around your ancestor. Genealogists sometimes call this cluster or FAN research: friends, associates and neighbours.
Search:
- Census neighbours
- Marriage witnesses
- Baptism sponsors
- Executors
- Land witnesses
- Business partners
- Travelling companions
- People buried nearby
Families often migrated together. A neighbour’s obituary, naturalization file or passenger-list entry may identify the exact village your ancestor came from.
23. Use DNA Testing Carefully
DNA evidence can help confirm family lines, identify biological relatives and generate clues when documentary records are incomplete.
The main test types are:
- Autosomal DNA for relationships across many family lines
- Y-DNA for a direct paternal line
- Mitochondrial DNA for a direct maternal line
Useful strategies include:
- Grouping matches into family clusters
- Identifying shared matches
- Building small research trees for important matches
- Comparing locations and surnames
- Using chromosome tools where available
- Confirming conclusions with documentary evidence
Ethnicity estimates are not proof of a particular ancestor. Results may change as company databases and reference populations are updated.
Before testing yourself or another person, consider privacy, consent and the possibility of unexpected family discoveries.
24. Consult Genealogy Societies and One-Name Studies
Local and regional genealogy societies often possess knowledge that large websites cannot provide.
They may offer:
- Cemetery transcriptions
- Parish indexes
- Local research guides
- Member databases
- Newsletters
- Volunteer lookups
- Webinars and workshops
- Connections to experienced local researchers
A one-name study investigates a surname across many families and locations. The Guild of One-Name Studies can be especially useful when researching an uncommon surname or distinguishing between several families with similar names.
25. Use AI as a Research Assistant—Not as a Source
Artificial intelligence can now assist with:
- Reading difficult handwriting
- Summarizing long documents
- Translating historical text
- Suggesting spelling variations
- Creating timelines
- Organizing research notes
- Comparing evidence
- Generating archive-search terms
- Transcribing letters and diaries
However, AI can misread records, invent details and produce citations that do not exist.
Never add an AI-generated claim directly to your family tree. Verify names, dates, relationships, quotations and references against the original document or a trustworthy archival source.
A safe rule is simple: use AI to help you search and analyze, but use historical evidence to prove your conclusions.
Modern Search Strategies That Find More Records
Having access to a database is not enough. The way you search can determine whether you find your ancestor.
Search with less information
Begin with a name, approximate date and location. Adding too many facts can exclude a correct result containing a transcription error.
Try spelling variations
Search phonetic spellings, initials, nicknames, abbreviations and reversed names. Remember that your ancestor may not have used a standardized spelling.
Search relatives and associates
If the head of household cannot be found, search for a spouse, child, sibling, neighbour or travelling companion.
Search by place
Browse records for the town, parish or county instead of relying exclusively on a global name search.
Search the images
Some online collections contain digitized records that have never been indexed. Browse them page by page as you would examine a roll of microfilm.
Check adjacent pages
People appearing before or after your ancestor may be relatives, neighbours or witnesses.
Keep a research log
Record the collection, search terms, date range, results and next steps—even when the search produces nothing. Negative searches prevent you from repeating the same work and can reveal gaps in your strategy.
Final Thoughts
Tracing your ancestry is not about finding the greatest possible number of names. It is about building an accurate, well-documented account of real people and understanding the lives they lived.
Begin with yourself. Work backward carefully. Search broadly, examine original records and document every conclusion. When a direct name search fails, investigate places, relatives, neighbours and unindexed collections.
Your ancestors left traces in more places than you might imagine. The challenge—and the adventure—is learning how to find them.