Explore Genealogy
Articles by Topic
09/29/03 - Section, Township & Range - Research in Public Land Records
Some of the most common and reliable records available to US
genealogists, land records in the thirty public land states are easy to access
and contain a wealth of information.
09/22/03 - Origins of German Surnames
Did you know that German surnames can often be identified by certain
distinctive spellings, prefixes, or suffixes? Learn more about the origins of
German surnames in this week's feature article, including the meanings of
Germany's top 50 last names.
09/15/03
- Fifty Questions for Family Interviews
Questions to ask when you get a chance to quiz your relatives.
09/08/03 -
Genealogy Guide to the US Census
Clue in to new ancestors through the US census. This guide includes
census facts, questions, and research tips for each census year 1790-1930, plus
links to free online census search tools.
09/01/03 - Scrapbooking Your Family History
Turn your old family photos, memorabilia, letters, and memories into a
treasure for future generations with these heritage scrapbook tips and layout
ideas.
08/25/03 - Italian Surname Meanings & Origins
Did you know that COLOMBO means dove keeper? Or that FERRARI is basically
the Italian version of SMITH? Learn how to uncover the origin of your Italian
surname!
08/25/03
- Fifty Questions for Family Interviews
Questions to ask when you get a chance to quiz your relatives.
08/11/03 - Top 100 Scottish Surnames - Meanings
& Origins
Anderson, Campbell, MacDonald, Scott, Smith, Stewart... Are you one
of the millions of people sporting one of these common Scottish last names? If
so, then don't miss this list of the most commonly occurring surnames in
Scotland, including details on each name's origin, meaning, and alternate
spellings.
08/04/03 - State By State - Resources for US Genealogy
Research
Tired of surfing the Internet looking for the most best genealogy sites
for different states? Simplify your search with this guide to the most
worthwhile U.S. genealogy resources and databases, organized by state.
08/04/03 - Is Your Hair
Loss Hereditary?
If you're over 20 and your hair is starting to thin, the culprit is
probably hidden in your family tree
04/21/03 - Binders, Notebooks, or Folders? Organizing Your Genealogy
Take charge of your genealogy clutter with one of these easy-to-maintain filing
systems. Includes how-to steps for binders and folders, as well as options for
organizing by surname, family, or event.
04/14/03 -
Intro to Heraldry for the Genealogist
Learn what heraldry is, how coats of arms are granted and inherited, what
the blazons on the shields mean, and much more in this primer to heraldry for
genealogists.
04/07/03 -
People Search 101 - How to Find People Online
Expand your genealogy research by searching for living relatives.
People Search 101 provides search strategies and resources for locating people
online, including former classmates, military buddies, birth parents, missing
people, and relatives.
03/31/03
- Top Books for Organizing Your Family History
Tackle those piles and boxes filled with genealogy files, notes, and papers
with these helpful books geared toward disorganized genealogists. Learn how to
create a flexible genealogy filing system, how to store photos, CD-ROMs, and
correspondence, how to set up an efficient work space, and more.
03/24/03 - Passenger Lists 101
Learn how to locate ancestors on ship
passenger lists and manifests with this guide to passenger lists around the
world. Includes what types of information you can expect to learn, locations and
time periods for passenger lists, plus indexes and links.
03/17/03
- Intro to Irish Genealogy
Irish genealogy isn't as hard as you may think. Learn how to trace your
Irish heritage step by step with this genealogy guide to Ireland.
03/10/03
- Review - Heritage Quest Online U.S. Census Records
Available free through subscribing libraries,
Heritage Quest Online packs in an intuitive interface, fast downloads, and
crisp census images. If your library doesn't subscribe, you're missing out!
03/10/03 -
Review - Genealogy.com U.S. Census Online
Genealogy.com's enhanced US census images and quick
load times make browsing a breeze, but limited search options make it difficult
to find mis-typed or misspelled names.
03/10/03 -
Review - Ancestry.com U.S. Census Online
Complete, though somewhat cumbersome, Ancestry's US
Census Collection is the best bet for subscribers to other Ancestry collections,
or for people who don't know where their ancestors lived.
03/10/03 - Battle of the U.S. Census Sites
It's great to be able to search census images online, but do you know which
US census collection offers the most flexible search options or best images?
Learn which US census subscription site gives you the most bang for the buck!
03/03/03 - Review - Adobe
Photoshop Album
A powerful photo management tool, Adobe Photoshop Album
makes it easy to find, catalog, organize, and share digital photos. Worth the
investment for people with large photo collections.
02/24/03 -
Her Story: Uncovering Women's Lives
Our female ancestors have wonderful stories to tell – legacies which extend
far beyond sets of names and dates in the family tree. Learn how to fill
in the gaps and tell the real story of your female ancestor – how she lived,
what she wore, her hopes and dreams.
02/17/03 - Preserving Family Treasures &
Heirlooms
Your grandfather's pocket watch, a lock of baby hair, an old school
yearbook, or a faded photograph. Learn how your family's precious objects can
provide you with a richer understanding of your family's history and how to best
preserve them for future generations.
02/10/03
- Threatened Record Closures
In the wake of terrorist threats and identity theft cases,
governments around the world have jumped on the privacy bandwagon, resulting in
a disturbing trend of closures and access restrictions to previously public
records. Learn how this affects access to important genealogical records and
what you can do to help educate your legislators.
02/03/03 - 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames
Are you researching one of these common surnames? If so, then don't
miss our collection of meanings, origins, family trees, research sites, and
search tips for these 100 common last names.
01/27/03 - Tracing the Origin of Your
Surname
Many of us are known by surnames that would surprise our ancestors. Are you?
01/20/03
- Family Origins Discontinued
Family Origins users have
been predicting this for quite some time, but it now appears that Genealogy.com
has officially discontinued Family Origins, a popular genealogy software program
that has been around since 1991.
01/17/03 - Review - RootsMagic Genealogy Software
Sophisticated and powerful, RootsMagic is also the easiest to use genealogy
program that I have ever tested.
01/13/03 - Top Ten Surname/Pedigree Databases
Search for your surname and make family tree connections in these ten
outstanding, lineage-linked databases, containing a combined 650 million
surnames. Most are free or allow some type of free access.
01/06/03 - Digging into Deeds
U.S. land records can provide a gold mine of clues for genealogists, but
many overlook this valuable resource. Learn how to search for your ancestor in
land deeds, grants, homestead files, and other U.S. land records.
01/01/03 -
Genealogy Resolutions for a New Year
Ten things which should be on every genealogist's 'To Do' list, plus
suggestions for making them a reality.
2002
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2001
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2000
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