Celebrity Genealogy      Research - My Family

How to Start Your Family Tree: A Beginner’s Guide to Tracing Your Roots

Starting a family tree can feel overwhelming at first—but just like most things in life, getting started is often the hardest part. With a bit of planning and the right tools, building your family tree can become an exciting and rewarding journey into your family’s history.

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My Family Tree Journey: From 20 Names to over 23,000 Relatives

When I began my own family tree over 20 years ago, I only knew a handful of names and a few birth dates. My first tree included about 20 relatives. Today, that same tree has grown to more than 22,000 family members—and it continues to grow every week.

This just goes to show that with patience and the right approach, your family tree can expand faster than you might expect.

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Choose the Right Tool for Your Family Tree

If you’re serious about tracing your roots as far back as possible—or if you plan to include extended relatives like aunts, uncles, cousins, or stepparents—a family tree software program is essential.

However, if you only want to record a few generations of direct ancestors, a simple spreadsheet or Word document can work perfectly fine.

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My Recommendation: Ancestry.com Family Tree Builder

For my own research, I use the Family Tree Builder from Ancestry.com. It’s an intuitive tool that automatically searches their massive database for possible matches to the people in your tree.

⚠️ Note: The Ancestry Family Tree Builder only remains active with a paid Ancestry subscription.

Understanding Ancestry “Hints” (and When to Be Cautious)

Ancestry’s green leaf hints are one of the site’s best features—and sometimes one of the trickiest.
These hints can lead you to new discoveries, such as birth records, census data, or marriage certificates. However, not all hints are accurate. Incorrect hints from other users’ trees can quickly fill your own tree with false information.

Before accepting any new record or “fact,” always double-check the details. If you’re unsure, click “Maybe” to save it in your “shoebox” for later review. This simple step can prevent hours of frustration later.

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Gathering Your First Family Tree Details

Every great family tree starts with the basics:

1. Your full name, birth date, and birthplace

2. Your parents and siblings

3. Aunts, uncles, and grandparents

If you’re missing details such as maiden names or birth dates, ask your relatives—you might be surprised at what they remember or what records they still have tucked away.

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Hidden Treasures: Family Bibles, Photo Albums, and Old Records

Don’t overlook old family keepsakes!

• Family bibles often include handwritten records of births, marriages, and deaths.

• Photo albums can reveal names, dates, and locations—sometimes written on the back.

• Old telephone directories or letters may also help you trace relatives from decades past.

Even the year printed on a photo (common in the 1950s–60s) can provide valuable timeline clues.

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Using Cemeteries and Public Records

Once you’ve gathered what you can from family sources, cemeteries can be invaluable.

In Canada, most cemeteries (except small private ones) maintain excellent records. Contact the cemetery office before visiting—they can often direct you to your ancestor’s burial site and provide official birth and death dates.

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Online Genealogy Research Resources

Online genealogy tools have made tracing your ancestry easier than ever. But remember—always verify your findings before adding them to your tree.

Some of the best online genealogy resources include:

• Ancestry.com – Paid membership required, extensive global database.

• FamilySearch.org – Free to use, maintained by the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and contains millions of searchable records.

With more historical records being digitized every day, online searches are becoming one of the fastest ways to discover your roots.

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Final Thoughts: Enjoy the Journey

Building your family tree isn’t a race—it’s a lifelong genealogy adventure. Take your time, verify your facts, and most importantly, enjoy every discovery along the way.

Each name you uncover connects you to your heritage and helps preserve your family’s story for future generations.