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Discover how to start your family tree in 4 simple steps and optimize your research with Geneafinder tools.
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Table of contents:
Starting genealogy means exploring your family history and bringing your ancestors to life through archival documents. But where to begin? Without a method and tools, it's easy to get lost among the millions of available documents. Systematize your research and use an appropriate tool can help avoid these mistakes. In this article, we guide you through 4 essential steps to get your family tree started.
Before diving into archives, start by questioning your family. Your relatives often hold precious memories and useful documents:
Take notes, record the discussions, and organize your initial findings.
📁 Use our printable genealogy sheets to organize your notes and research.
📸 Need help managing your family photos? Follow our guides:
After gathering this initial family information, it's time to build your tree.
To build and grow your tree, it's important to understand how a genealogy tree works. Each person in the tree is connected by family ties (parents, children, spouses mainly).
Growing your tree involves adding new people and new connections.
To start, choose the root person of your tree - they will be the starting point. You can then choose to go up the tree (ascending genealogy) or down (descending genealogy - to find living cousins, for example).
You can create your genealogy tree on paper (discover our free printable templates) or online.
🌱 With Geneafinder, create your tree and grow it without limits, for free!
📝 Want to start your genealogy online in a private space? Follow the Geneafinder tutorials:
Vital records are the main source of information to trace your ancestors.
Since 1539 and the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, then 1579 and the Ordinance of Blois, priests were required to keep records of baptisms, marriages, and burials. These parish records were replaced in 1792 by birth, marriage, and death records kept by town halls.
In France, parish and vital records (before 1920) are freely available online on the websites of departmental archives. You can also request vital records from town halls via Service-Public (free of charge).
📌 Access departmental archives websites with just a few clicks using our Public Archives tool (available after registration).
Beyond civil records, many secondary sources will help you develop your genealogy.
Census records will allow you to obtain information about professions, places of residence, and family compositions of your ancestors' households.
Similarly, military records can reveal physical descriptions, assignments, and unsuspected paths regarding the men in your family.
To go further, notarial archives will be useful sources to learn more about your ancestors (marriage contracts, real estate genealogy...).
All these sources are freely accessible at Departmental Archives, online or on-site.
🚀 Did you know? Old newspapers could also provide information about your ancestors!
Starting your family tree is a fascinating experience, but also a meticulous task. Organization and the right tools are essential to move forward efficiently.
With Geneafinder, start for free and explore your origins with ease. Then move to the Premium plan to expand your possibilities and enrich your family history!
Follow our 5 golden rules and our favorite tips to start with confidence.
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