| Genealogy-Geneology.net | Selected Sites | Selected Directories | Free E-book |
Surname Databases/Search Engines
Normal search engines are only part of a genealogist's arsenal when hunting for surname information. The internet is now home to large amounts of free and subscription-based surname databases and search engines.
Below is a list of some of the best free and subscription-based surname databases/search engines on the net. Just remember the rule of thumb to follow when dealing with online data is to view it with an element of suspicion until it can be properly verified. Too many people still think "if it's on the internet it must be true".
"Family Finder" is a free service provided by the makers of "Family Tree Maker" that searches hundreds of thousands of genealogy web pages. It returns matches for names found on personal home pages , name association pages, society pages, surname indexes,world family tree pedigrees, passenger records, message boards, virtual cemetaries, and civil war databases.
Click Here for instructions on how to use "Family Finder".
The Social Security Death Index
The "Social Security Death Index" is one of the most useful databases on the internet. This database contains the names of over 64 million Americans plus information such as social security numbers, birth and death dates, and last known residence.
Click Here for instructions on how to search the SSDI.
"Kindred Konnections" is a pay-for-service database that also offers a way to access the database for free. In exchange for extracting names and dates from original source documents, you get one hour in the subscription-based area of the web site. During your one free hour you can access millions of marriage, birth, death, and census records. They also have a 56 million name pedigree-linked archive. You are allowed to build up an unlimited amount of free hours which can be used immediately or saved for a future date.
Click Here to obtain an account number and password. You can select whether you want a paid or free subscription at the beginning of the form.
Ancestry.com is a subscription-based geneology site. For a monthly fee you can search a multitude of records including census indexes and marriage records. Ancestry.com also has a free-to-use surname search service called World Tree. The World Tree database contains over 75 million names that are contained in GEDCOMS.
Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , "Family Search" is one of the most popular geneology sites on the internet. From this site you can search millions of family records from a variety of sources including the Ancestral File , the International Genealogical Index, the Pedigree Resource File and websites.
The Ancestral File
The Ancestral File is a compilation of genealogies submitted by people worldwide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This file contains over 35 million names and provides contact information for the person who submitted the information.
International Genealogical Index
The International Genealogical Index (IGI) lists the dates and places of births, christening and marriages for more than 285 million deceased people. Names were extracted from original records from the early 1500s to the early 1900's.
The Pedigree Resource File
A database of compiled pedigrees submitted by users via the online "Family Search" Internet Genealogy Service, or gathered from printed histories and other sources.
"Family Search" is easy to use for beginners. Once you arrive at the site click on "Help" on the top right corner of the site for instructions on how to use the search features.
This is a searchable list or registry of over one million surnames from around the world. Associated with each surname are dates and locations and the contact information of the person who submitted the information. You can search the RSL by surname or look through the monthly update section for new additions.
Once you arrive at the site scroll down until you see the heading "Search the RootsWeb Surname List".
From there simply type your surname into the "Surname" search field and click "Submit".
You will then be presented with a table of results. You will see the headings "From", "To", "Migration", and "Submitter".
The "From" and "To" columns contain dates. These dates tell you that the person researching your surname has information that covers those dates.
The "Migration" column shows a submitters info about the areas the family lived in.
By clicking on the names in the "Submitter" column you can obtain the email address of the person who submitted the information.
Click Here to browse the Rootsweb Helpdesk.
This database includes over 1.7 million records from over three thousand cemeteries worldwide.
Click Here for tips on searching this database.
Surname Web provides a searchable registry from which you can perform a surname search through over three billion genealogy records and over one hundred thousand geneology web sites.
Simply enter your surname into the search field at the top of the page and click "Search".
One of the largest geneology databases on the net, the World Connect Project currently contains over fifty six million names in over one million databases that can all be searched free of charge. You can also submit your own family tree information in GEDCOM format for free.
Simply enter your surname into the "World Connect" search field and click search. You will then be presented with a list of all the GEDCOMs that contain your surname. You can further refine your search by entering first name, place of birth or death.
You will also find the email address of the person who submitted the GEDCOM, so you can contact them directly.
Another great feature of "World Connect" is the electronic "post-em" note. You can leave a "post-em" note so other researchers will see you are researching that family.
Click Here for further help on using World Connect.
A daily index of published obituaries worldwide. This index grows by about 2,500 entries per day and goes back to 1995.
Provides passenger lists of it's own as well as links to other passenger lists on the net. You can find passenger lists from ships sailing from the 1400's right through to the 1900's. Countries represented are New Zealand, Australia, South America, Canada , South Africa, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland and the United States.
Each region, province, state, country has a page on WorldGenWeb with links to genealogy information, and often, transcribed records.
Once you arrive at the site simply click on the country you are interested in.
Or you can link directly to the region specific GenWeb sites below.
The British Isles GenWeb Project
The East Europe GenWeb Project
The Middle East GenWeb Project
The North American GenWeb Project
Hundreds of thousands of State and County records including deeds , wills, census records and cemetery transcriptions can be searched through this one search engine.