Use Family Tree Databases to find your family.

Family Tree Databases

Search the various online family tree databases which can help add generations to your family tree. These family trees have been created and uploaded by regular users. In most cases, you can also contact the submitter of the tree and connect with your possible distant cousins. Each family tree site has its own advantages.

  1. Ancestry.com

    Over a billion names, photos, stories, and sources in their family trees online.


    • 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 ask to be invited to see the tree.


  2. Computerized Ancestor
    This family tree database is furnished by Yates Publishing and contains data from over 840,000 family group sheets submitted over the years to the Family Group Sheet Exchange.


  3. Family Tree Now
    A large collection of Family Trees and genealogy records - all free.


  4. Family Search Family Trees
    A database of 200 million family trees submitted by users through FamilySearch.com, the Mormon genealogy website. The newer Community Trees, the Family Search Pedigree resource file and the older Ancestral File are available to search either separately or together.

    Community Trees are genealogies from specific periods and localities that have been linked by family. The projects may involve members of a small villages or townships who work together to form a family tree of all known residents of the community for a given time period

    The Pedigree Resource File is the 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. Free.


  5. GeneaNet
    GeneaNet is a worldwide database with family trees submitted from around the globe. It has many family trees, surnames details, and contact information.


  6. 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 believe the matching is done incorrectly.


  7. 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.


  8. 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.


  9. 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.


  10. Rootsweb WorldConnect
    This database contain the family trees submitted by users and can be viewed for free by everyone. Text only. Over 700,000,000 surnames and over 60 milion trees.


  11. 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.


  12. 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 private family histories. Free for everyone.