Fill In the Dots

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How to start a family tree

Start with yourself and work back one generation at a time. Write down what you know, gather the papers at home, ask your oldest relatives what they remember, then check one fact at a time in free records. Here are the first seven steps; none of them costs money.

Last reviewed 8 October 2026By Wren & Co., from the research behind Fill In the Dots

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Short answer: begin with yourself, not a famous ancestor. The Library of Congress, the FamilySearch Research Wiki and the National Genealogical Society all give beginners the same order: write down what you know, gather home sources, talk to relatives, then search records, working back one generation at a time.

What are the first steps?

  1. Write down what you already know

    Start with yourself, then your parents and grandparents. Write each person’s full name, with the surname they were born with, and the dates and places you know. Leave blanks for what you don’t. It’s a start, not a test.

  2. Gather what’s already at home

    Look for certificates, funeral cards, family Bibles, letters, photographs with writing on the back, and discharge papers. Make a list of what you find and where it is. A phone photo of a document is enough to work from.

  3. Put four generations on one page

    Fill in a four-generation chart: you, your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Beside each fact, note how you know it: someone told you, or you’ve seen a record. Our free printable family tree chart has room for all fifteen people.

  4. Ask the people who remember

    Talk with your oldest relatives first. Ask open questions, one at a time, and write down who said each thing. See our list of family history interview questions.

  5. Choose one question

    Pick one person and one fact that records could answer, such as “Where and when was Grandma Anna born?” Searching for everyone at once is the quickest way to get lost.

  6. Search free records

    Start with the most recent records and work back: death and burial records, then census returns, then marriages, then births. FamilySearch is free with an account; see our guide to free genealogy websites.

  7. Write down every search, and what it found

    Keep a research log: where you looked, what you searched for, and the result, including searches that found nothing. Then update your chart, and choose your next question.

Where do I start if I know very little?

With what you do know, even if it’s one grandparent’s name and a town. Then:

  • Ask widely. Cousins, in-laws and family friends often heard different stories.
  • Look for one paper. A funeral card or an obituary usually names relatives, places and dates.
  • Search the most recent records first. A twentieth-century death certificate usually gives an age or birth date, and often names the parents (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Then the most recent census open to the public shows the whole household: 1950 in the United States (National Archives) and 1931 in Canada (Library and Archives Canada).
  • Write your gaps down as questions. They become your research plan.

Should I keep my family tree on paper or online?

Either works, and many people use both. Paper is easy to think on, and a chart with a research log keeps family stories separate from what records confirm. An online tree is handy for sharing, but the FamilySearch tree is one shared tree that other users can edit, so treat what you find there as clues and keep your own notes of where each fact came from. Whatever you use, keep a backup.

Do I need a DNA test to start a family tree?

No. Records and relatives come first. A DNA test can help with close relationships, but on its own it can confirm only the closest ones, ethnicity estimates vary from company to company, and a test can reveal relationships nobody expected (Genetic Genealogy Standards). If you test later, read the company’s privacy settings before you send a sample (Federal Trade Commission).

How do I start a family tree in Canada?

The same steps work. Census returns from 1825 to 1931 are free on Library and Archives Canada’s Census Search. Births, marriages and deaths are kept by each province, not by Library and Archives Canada. Some provinces put older registrations online free: Nova Scotia’s historical vital statistics, for example, link every name to the original record. FamilySearch has many provincial records free with an account, including Quebec’s Catholic parish registers from 1621 to 1979.

What mistakes do beginners make?

FamilySearch keeps a list of rookie mistakes. The common ones:

  • Copying other people’s trees without checking the records they rely on.
  • Same name, wrong person. Two cousins with the same name can blend into one.
  • Searching only one spelling. Clerks wrote what they heard, and indexers read what they could.
  • Not writing searches down, then repeating them.
  • Starting too far back, or with a famous ancestor, instead of with yourself.

Questions people ask

What do I need to start a family tree?

Paper and a pencil, what you and your relatives remember, and any family papers at home. For searching records, a free FamilySearch account and a computer or a library computer. You don’t need a subscription or a DNA test to begin.

Should I start with my mother’s or my father’s side?

Start with yourself, which puts both sides on one chart. When you’re ready to search records, pick one person and one question at a time, from either side.

How far back can I trace my family tree?

It depends on which records survive for your family. In the United States, the 1950 census is the most recent one open to the public, and federal censuses name every member of a household from 1850. In Canada, the most recent open census is 1931. Many families can be followed into the 1800s through these and church records.

How long does it take to start?

An afternoon is enough to fill in what you know and list the papers at home. Searching records is open-ended; one question at a time keeps it manageable.

Sources

  1. Genealogy Basics, Library of Congress Research Guides (updated 17 Sep 2026). Read 8 October 2026.
  2. Research Process, FamilySearch Research Wiki (edited 4 Sep 2026). Read 8 October 2026.
  3. How to Build a Family Tree: Tracing Your Ancestors, National Genealogical Society. Read 8 October 2026.
  4. Rookie Mistakes, FamilySearch Research Wiki (edited 9 Feb 2026). Read 8 October 2026.
  5. United States Death Records, FamilySearch Research Wiki. Read 8 October 2026.
  6. Genetic Genealogy Standards, Genetic Genealogy Standards Committee (10 Jan 2015). Read 8 October 2026.
  7. If DNA test kits are on your holiday shopping list, U.S. Federal Trade Commission (19 Dec 2023). Read 8 October 2026.
  8. 1950 Census Records, U.S. National Archives (reviewed 5 Jun 2026). Read 8 October 2026.
  9. The 1931 Census is now online!, Library and Archives Canada (1 Jun 2023). Read 8 October 2026.