How Do I Start Researching My Family Tree? A Genealogist Answers

Researching your family tree can feel overwhelming at first. Where do you even begin? Helen Brahms, chief genealogist at Your Family Tree Detective, says this is one of the questions she's asked most often. Here's her answer.

Short answer: Start with what you already know, talk to your relatives, gather the documents in your home, and then search records to confirm the details. Most importantly, work backwards one generation at a time.

How do I start researching my family tree?

According to Helen, start with five steps:

Write down everything you know about yourself, your parents, and your grandparents.

Talk to your family about names, dates, places, and family stories.

Gather the documents you already have at home.

Search records to confirm the details you're unsure about.

Work backwards, one generation at a time.

What should I ask my relatives?

Ask about names, dates, places, and family stories. If possible, record those conversations. Helen warns that these memories disappear much faster than you realize, so capturing them early is one of the most valuable things you can do.

What documents should I look for at home?

Look for certificates, photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, family Bibles, and any other documents that could hold valuable clues. Many families already have more information tucked away than they think.

When should I start searching records?

Once you've gathered what you know, start searching records to confirm the details you're unsure about. Helen says this isn't for facts you already have certificates for. It's for the gaps, like when a relative says, "I think they got married in 1945, but I'm not sure." Records let you check.

What's the biggest mistake beginners make?

Trying to build the whole family tree at once. Helen's biggest tip is to always work backwards, one generation at a time. Genealogy is a marathon, not a sprint: one person, one generation, one clue at a time.

Transcript

"One of the most frequently asked questions I get about genealogy is, 'How do I start researching my family tree?' Grab some pen and paper. Sit down and write down everything you know about yourself, your parents, and your grandparents. Next, start talking to your family. Ask them about names, dates, places, and family stories, and if possible, record those conversations, because those memories will disappear much faster than you realize. Then look at what you already have around the house: certificates, photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, family Bibles, and any other documentation that can contain valuable clues. From there, start searching the records to confirm what you already know. And this is not the stuff you already have certificates for. This is the stuff where you've got somebody going, 'Oh, I think they got married in 1945, but I'm not sure.' Well, now we can go and look. But my biggest tip is always work backwards, one generation at a time. Don't try to build an entire family tree overnight or in a couple of days. It ain't going to work. This is not a sprint, it's a marathon. One person, one generation, one clue at a time. I'm Helen Brahms, chief genealogist at Your Family Tree Detective, and you can find me on ProPass in the App Store."

Watch Helen answer the question (tap the video to play):