Genealogy Terms Quick Guide

The Genealogy Terms Quick Guide is a beginner-friendly printable reference for understanding the words you will see in family trees, census records, source citations, research logs, online databases, and genealogy conversations.

Instead of giving you a stiff dictionary-style glossary, this guide explains common genealogy terms in plain English and includes simple examples so the words actually make sense while you are researching.

Inside, you’ll find terms related to family relationships, family trees, research methods, sources, evidence, citations, common record types, places, time, and context. It also includes helpful “don’t mix these up” comparisons for terms that are easy to confuse, like source vs. record, direct evidence vs. indirect evidence, ancestor vs. relative, and birthplace vs. residence.

Use it as a printable reference in your genealogy binder, keep it beside your computer, or pull it out whenever genealogy starts sounding like a secret club with too many rules.