Getting Started in Genealogy

Family Tree Databases

• Ancestry.com Over a billion names, photos, stories, and sources.
  
  
  
  • Public Member Trees
    Ancestry Public Member Trees contain family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can be viewed by all Ancestry members.
    
    Over one billion names in family trees have been submitted from around the world. These family trees also include ancestor photos, scanned documents, and stories.
    
    Ancestry Public Member Trees can be used to collaborate with your family and no one but those invited to view the tree can make changes to the tree.
    
    There is no limit to tree size or the amount of photos and scanned documents that can be added. In addition, audio and video files can also be added.
    
    
  • Private Member Trees
    Ancestry Private Member Trees are just like Public member trees above but can be viewed only by Ancestry members who have been granted permission by the submitter to see the tree.
    
    However, you can contact the owner of the tree to get more information or to be invited to see the tree.
    
    
  • One World Tree
    OneWorldTree has family trees and family history records for millions of people. OWT analyzes the birth, death and marriage data and then displays the most probable matches for your ancestors. While still available on the Ancestry.com site, these trees are no longer updated, and have been replaced by the Public Member Trees and Personal Member Trees listed above.
    
    
  • Ancestry World Tree
    The original Ancestry family tree database, it contains the information submitted by users and can be viewed for free by everyone. These trees are no longer updated.
    
    
  • Rootsweb WorldConnect
    This database contain the information submitted by users and can be viewed for free by everyone.
    
    
  
  
  
  
• GenCircles
  The Global Tree at GenCircles have user-submitted surnames from all over the world and, once you've submitted your own GEDCOM file, you can use GenCircle's "matching technology" to match the people in your tree with others on GenCircles.
  
  GenCircles has no tree size limit. However, GenCirles has merged with My Heritage and there is no indication of how long Gencirle trees will remain online at GenCircles. All the GenCircles family trees also appear on the MyHeritage site.
  
  
  
• Everton Publishers
  Everton Publishers have been collecting Pedigree and Family Group Sheets since 1979. There are now more than 150,000 family trees in the Everton's Online Library and are they are available as part of the Family Link subscription. Family Link has also been recently purchased by MyHeritage.
  
  
  
• FamilySearch Pedigree Resource File
  A database of family trees submitted by users through FamilySearch.com website. The pedigree resource file has replaced the Ancestral File although both are available to view.
  
  The Pedigree Resource File is a new lineage linked database of records containing family history records submitted by individuals through FamilySearch website. Family information is organized in family groups and pedigrees and includes submitted notes and sources
  
  This website is run by the Mormon church although the trees include families of all religious dominations.
  
  
  
• GeneaNet
  GeneaNet is a worldwide database with family trees submitted from around the globe. It has many family trees, surnames details, and contact information.
  
  
  
• Geni
  Geni allows you to stay in touch with your family when you create a family tree and invite them to join your tree. There is a "basic" version for free and a "pro" version for a monthly fee.
  
  Your family tree at Geni cannot be made private and is indexed by the search engines which is a good thing if you want distant cousins to find you, but not a good thing if you want to keep your tree private.
  
  Volunteer "curators" in the background join trees together if they think there is a match. Some people like this but others find the matching is done incorrectly.
  
  
  
• MyHeritage
  The Global Tree at My Heritage has user-submitted surnames from all over the world and, if you've submitted your own GEDCOM file, you can use "matching technology" to pair the people in your tree with those already on file. MyHeritage and GenCircles have merged, making Gencirles trees available at both websites. There is a charge if you go over the tree size limit (500 people). When installing the program, you will be asked if you want to make MyHeritage your default search page. If you do not want to accept this change to your default, you will need to uncheck this box.
  
  
  
• MyTrees.com
  The Ancestry Archive at MyTrees which is also known as Kindred Konnections is a collection of pedigree-linked surnames provided from family group sheets and user-contributed family trees. Ancestry Archive offers free full access if you submit a GEDCOM, or spend a few minutes extracting an online document.
  
  
  
• One Great Family
  This premium database is the world's largest collaborative online family tree. OneGreatFamily is a single, shared family tree built by people all over the world.
  
  
  
• WeRelate
  WeRelate is a public-service wiki for genealogy in partnership with the Allen County Public Library . At WeRelate you can connect with other researchers and cooperatively work on family trees for your ancestors. Your research can be documented online. You can upload GEDCOM files, upload and annotate scanned documents and photos, include family stories and biographies, and generate maps of your ancestors' life events.
  
  
• WikiTree
  As a community, Wiki Tree has been creating a single worldwide family tree since 2008. As individuals and family members, WikiTree is connecting the tree with our private family histories. It's all free for everyone. Expenses are covered by discreet ads on public pages.