
A family tree is a chart used to trace the ancestry and the genealogical history of a certain family. Historically, family trees have been used to keep track of ancestry and locate descendants, and the use of family trees can be traced back centuries. In today’s world, people who are interested in researching their ancestors or putting together a record of their family engage in family tree creation, typically with the help of online resources.
Our article tells you more about what a family tree is, why these charts are important, and how to start your own family tree.
Family Trees: What to Know
Family trees have been around as early as the 11th century, with the earliest family trees being used to trace the genealogical history of Christ or other biblical characters. Family trees were used off and on, becoming notable in the medieval period when they were used to trace royal lineage and then becoming even more popular in the 18th century as people began tracing their own family history.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the United States experienced a surge of interest in genealogical research, with a plethora of TV shows eventually appearing that helped trace the history of notable celebrities or other individuals. More people became interested in creating their own family trees, and genealogical research websites and online websites dedicated to family tree creation appeared to meet this need.
Today, family tree websites still exist, and they are often paired with websites that help you trace your DNA to locate relatives or any notable genealogical history that you may not know about. Many individuals choose to create family trees today to keep track of their family or for the fun of conducting genealogical research to see where their ancestors came from.
Why Are Family Trees Important?
Historically, family trees were an important way to keep track of royal lineage. While they still may be used for this today, family trees are more important for people who are looking to research their own family history to see where they came from and to find any long-lost or unknown relatives out there in the world.
Many people use their family trees to feel connected to their own history and to share the history of their families with future descendants.
How Do I Start a Family Tree?
Starting a family tree can seem overwhelming at first, especially if you have never created a family tree before. However, all it takes to start a family tree is some patience, dedication to research, and an idea of what you want your family tree to look like. You can follow the tips below to get started with your family tree.
Research
Research is one of the most important aspects of creating a family tree. To conduct genealogical research on your family and ancestors, you can use resources like your local library, online records, or personal family records around your home. If you are interested in using your DNA to find ancestors and more detailed genealogical history, you can work with a reputable website such as the popular 23andMe to gather this data.
It’s important to note that research is also one of the time-consuming parts of your family tree creation, but it can be the most rewarding as you trace back your ancestors and figure out your roots.
Create Your Tree Design
After you have some idea of your family tree and the individuals you want to put on it, you can start to create your tree design. You can use an online website or handwrite your family tree, and it helps to keep in mind a starting point, such as yourself or your child.
Use a Genealogy Website
Using a genealogy website to help with your research and family tree creation can make this process less overwhelming. There are several different popular websites out there that you can use, and you can compare these websites to figure out which one best suits your needs. When you use a genealogy website, you can add details of your ancestors manually, or you can use a search function to find people who belong to your family tree.
Some genealogy websites are connected to DNA websites that allow you to automatically find and add genetically related relatives to your family tree.
Expand Your Tree
Once you have your base tree in place and you are conducting research, it’s time to expand your tree. You can do this by deepening your research, something that may require speaking to relatives, looking through old family records and stored items, or even using a gravesite finder to find details on your ancestors. Family histories can be extensive, and expanding your tree can be one of the most rewarding and lengthy processes as you trace your family history.
Why Start a Family Tree?
While most people start family trees for fun or to learn more about their ancestors, there are many reasons why you might want to start a family tree. Important reasons to trace your family history include:
- To feel a connection to your family members – Many people who create family trees do it so that they can get a sense of where they came from and feel connected to their ancestors.
- To trace genetics – Tracing your genetics and understanding the history of your family can help you pinpoint health concerns; family trees with DNA history are typically the best choice for this.
- To determine heirs – In some cases, it’s necessary to find genealogical heirs or proof of ancestry to determine who gets an inheritance or other inherited assets.
- To determine property ownership – Family trees can be used to prove that certain pieces of property or assets have been passed down historically through the same family, something that helps to solidify or determine property ownership.
Are There Different Types of Family Trees?
All family trees aim to give the reader a sense of how a family is connected throughout the years. There are a few different types of family tree charts and styles that you could use to create your own family tree.
One of the most popular types of family tree is the descendant chart, which depicts the starting individual at the top, and the tree grows larger as it moves downward. The ancestor chart starts with the individual at the bottom and the tree growing larger in an upward style, though other styles of family tree may have the starting individual to the left and the branches of the family tree growing out towards the right.
You can pick any of these types of trees as you craft your own family tree, and many people will choose to have the starting individual at the bottom with ancestors branching up from that individual.
Do I Need to Use a DNA Service to Create a Family Tree?
You don’t necessarily need to use a DNA service to create your family tree, though this can be helpful if you aren’t too sure of your family’s history, or if you are having trouble finding records about your family’s ancestry. DNA services can also give you a good idea of the part of the world that your ancestors are from, and this information can sometimes be surprising to people.
Whether or not you use a family tree, you can still use an ancestry or genealogy website to plot your family tree and add in ancestors as you discover them.
Gathering Your Family Knowledge
Family trees are an increasingly popular way to stay connected to your personal history and get a sense of where you came from, in addition to learning about your ancestors’ history. A family tree lets you graph all of the genealogical research you come across, easily giving you a way to look at your ancestors and descendants.
If you want to create your own family tree, you can start researching your family’s history with public records or by visiting local archives either in person or online.