Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, you
won't get far in tracing your family tree if you don't understand the
lingo. Build your
genealogical vocabulary with this glossary.
Skip ahead to a particular letter by clicking on it below:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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A
abstract
An abbreviated transcription of a document that includes the date of the
record and every name it contains; it may also provide relationships or
descriptions (witness, executor, bondsman, son, widow) of the people
mentioned.
Ahnentafel
A German word meaning “ancestor table.” This system of numbering gives
each ancestor a number and makes organization and reference easier.
Fathers are even numbers, mothers odd. To find a father’s number, double
the child’s number (if you are #1, then, your father is #2). Add one to
the father’s number to get the mother’s number (your mother would be
#3).
aliquot parts
In the rectangular survey system, a description for an exact subdivision
of a section of land. Aliquot parts use directions and fractions to
indicate the land’s location—for example, “W 1/2 SE 1/4” represents the
west half of the southeast quarter of a township.
ancestors
The relatives you descend from directly, including parents,
grandparents, great-grandparents and so on. Your number of ancestors
doubles each generation you move backward; for example, you have four
grandparents, eight great-grandparents and 16 great-great-grandparents.
autosomal DNA
genetic material inherited equally from mother and father. It’s less
useful genealogically than Y-DNA and mtDNA because it mutates more
often. Genetic tests to determine ethnic origins—African, Native
American, Viking—typically analyze autosomal DNA.
B
banns (or marriage banns)
Church-generated documents publicly stating couples’ intent to marry.
The custom dates back to Colonial America; banns were posted or read on
three consecutive Sundays.
block number
A one-, two-, or three-digit number that describes a block (or piece) of land within a township.
bond
A written, signed and witnessed agreement requiring someone to pay a specified amount of money by a given date.
bounty land
Land granted by the Colonial and federal governments as a reward for
military service. Bounty-land warrants—documents granting the right to
the land—were assigned to soldiers, their heirs and other individuals.
Bureau of Land Management General Land Office (GLO)
The US government office historically in charge of disposing of public
land. Usually, several branch land offices existed for each state. Its
Web site contains a searchable database with millions of digitized federal land patents.
C
cemetery records
Records of the names and death dates of those buried, as well as maps of
grave sites. These records are usually kept by cemetery caretakers.
More-detailed records, including the names of the deceased's relatives,
may also be included. In addition to these paper records, tombstones
also can provide information such as birth and death dates and the names
of other family members.
census
A census is an official count of the population in a particular area. In
addition to counting the inhabitants of an area, the census generally
collects other details, such as names, ages, citizenship status and
ethnic background. The US government began collecting census data in
1790, and has done so every 10 years since then. Selected states have
conducted their own censuses over the years.
certified copy
A copy made and attested to by officers having charge of the original and who are authorized to give copies.
chromosome
a threadlike strand of DNA that carries genes and transmits hereditary information.
cluster genealogy
Studying your ancestor as part of a group, or “cluster,” of relatives,
friends and neighbors and associates. The cluster approach can help you
find (or confirm) details you might miss by looking only at an
individual ancestor.
collateral relative
Any kin who aren’t in your direct line, such as siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins.
credit patent
A document transferring land to be paid for in installments over a
four-year period. A delinquent payment or nonpayment of the full balance
resulted in forfeiture. In 1820, Congress required full payment for
land at the time of purchase.
D
declaration of intention
An alien’s sworn statement that he or she wants to become a US citizen,
also called “first papers.” These records, which were filed in federal
court, list personal details such as name, age, occupation, birthplace,
last foreign residence and more.
deed
A document transferring ownership and title of property. Unlike a
patent, a deed records the sale of property from one private individual
to another.
descendant report
Similar to an Outline Descendant Chart, the Descendant report in
Generations also includes dates and places of birth, death and burial.
It’s useful as a compact format for displaying detailed information on a
person’s descendants.
descendants
An ancestor’s offspring—children, grandchildren and every new generation in the direct line.
DNA
the molecule that contains each cell’s genetic code, organized into 23
pairs of chromosomes. Genetic genealogy tests analyze your Y-DNA, mtDNA
or autosomal DNA.
documentation
The process of citing your sources of family history information.
Thorough documentation makes it easier for you to keep track of the
details and sources you’ve already researched; it also allows other
researchers to verify your findings.
E
enumeration districts
Divisions of each county and some large cities used to make census
taking more efficient and accurate. For large cities, the boundaries of
enumeration districts often match those of wards or precincts.
F
family group record (or sheet)
Succinctly summarizes your information on a couple and their children.
Includes names; dates and places of birth, baptism, marriage, death and
burial; and source citations. Arrange these sheets by husband’s last
name in a three-ring binder for easy reference at home and on research
outings.
Family History Library (FHL)
The world’s largest genealogical information collection, founded in 1894
by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The main branch is
in Salt Lake City, Utah, but many of the library’s microfilmed records
can be loaned for use at one of its 3,700 worldwide Family History
Centers. The FHL’s
FamilySearch Web site contains the Social Security Death Index, the Military Index, the Ancestral File and the International
Genealogical Index, plus searchable census data from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
five-generation chart
Basically,
your family tree.
The five-generation chart has five columns reading from left to right.
Column one (a single box) contains your vital information. Column two
(two lines) contains the names of your parents and their vital
information. The third, fourth and fifth columns have four, eight and
sixteen lines, respectively, for you to list the names and vital
information of everyone through your great-great-grandparents.
freedman
A male released from slavery; an emancipated person.
G
gazetteer
A geographical dictionary; a book giving names and descriptions of places, usually in alphabetical order.
GEDCOM
GEnealogy Data
COMmunications, or, the universal file format for genealogy databases
that allows users of different software programs to share their data
with others.
gene
a hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a
specific location on a chromosome, and determines a particular
characteristic in an organism.
genealogy
The study of your family’s history; the process of tracing your ancestors back through time.
genetic marker
represents a specific location on a chromosome where the basic genetic units exist in a variable number of repeated copies
genotype/signature
the compilation of multiple genetic markers; serves as the unique genetic identifier for any given individual.
H
haplogroup
an identification of the genetic group your ancient ancestors
(10,000 to 60,000 years ago) belonged to; sometimes referred to as your
branch of the world's family tree
haplotype
collectively, the marker values on your Y-DNA test results
homestead
Usually, a home on land obtained from the US government. Part of the
agreement between the homesteader and the government was that the
individual had to live on the land and make improvements to it, such as
adding buildings and clearing fields.
Homestead Act of 1862
A law allowing people to settle up to 160 acres of public land if they
lived on it for five years and grew crops or made improvements. The land
didn’t cost anything, but the settler paid a filing fee.
I
index
In genealogical terms, an alphabetical list of names taken from a
particular set of records. For example, a census index lists the names
of people named in a particular set of
census records, such as the 1870 or 1900 census. Indexes come in book form and on CD-ROM, microfilm and microfiche.
International Genealogical Index (IGI)
The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is one of the resources of
the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Containing approximately 250 million names, it is an index of
people's names that were either submitted to the church, or were
extracted from records that the church has microfilmed over the years.
intestate
Description of a person who died without leaving a will.
J
Julian calendar
The calendar used from 46 BC to 1582, named for Julius Caesar. It’s
often referred to as the "Old Style" calendar and was replaced by the
Gregorian calendar.
K
kindred
Blood relatives.
L
land-entry case file
A file created when a person claimed land under an act of Congress, such
as the Homestead Act of 1862. The person first filled out an
application at the local General Land Office, and sometimes provided
other information (such as marriage or immigration documents). The file
also might contain receipts; affidavits of occupation, immigration,
marriage and homestead application; or other materials. You can obtain
land-entry file information for eastern states from the
National Archives and Records Administration.
land claim
A settler’s application to receive public land.
land grant
Public land given to an individual by the government, usually as a reward for military service.
land patent
A document transferring land ownership from the federal government to an individual.
legal land description
In a land patent, an exact identification of the land being transferred using survey terms.
legacy
Property or money bequeathed to someone in a will.
lien
A claim placed on property by a person who is owed money.
local history
Usually, a book about a particular town or county. Local histories were
quite popular in the late 19th century. While they often give the
history of the development of the area, they usually also include some
information about the important families that lived there.
M
manuscripts
Handwritten documents and records such as diaries, letters, or family
Bible entries that can contain items relating to family, business or
organization papers. You can find manuscript collections by consulting
the
National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC), which shows libraries’ holdings.
medical records
Paperwork associated with medical treatments. Medical records, because
they are considered private documents, may not be accessible to the
public, but hospital records, doctors’ or midwives’ journals, veterans’
files and asylum records can be found with some hunting.
meridian
An imaginary north-south line. A principal meridian is the starting point for a rectangular land survey.
metes and bounds
A land survey method employing compass directions, natural landmarks and distances between points.
military records
Beginning with the American Revolution, records of military service have
been kept in one form or another by the federal government. Military
records fall into two basic categories—compiled service records and
veterans’ benefits—and can include volunteer records, pension and bounty
land warrant applications, draft registration cards and military
discharge papers.
Miracode system
An indexing system similar to Soundex that was used to organize the
results of the 1910 census. Miracode index cards are computer generated
rather than handwritten, and are organized first by Soundex code, then
alphabetically by county, then alphabetically by given name.
mitochondrial DNA
genetic material both males and females inherit from their mothers.
Because it’s passed down mostly unchanged from mothers to daughters,
mtDNA can tell you about your maternal line—but the results reveal only
“deep ancestry,” not definitive links to recent generations.
mortality schedule
A section of the
federal census listing information about persons who died during the census year.
N
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
The United States’ archive of all federal records, including census
records, military service rolls and pension applications, passenger
lists and bounty-land warrants. In addition to the primary archives in
Washington, DC,
NARA has a branch in College Park, Md., and 13 regional facilities across the nation.
naturalization records
Documents of the process by which an immigrant becomes a citizen. An
individual has to live in the United States for a specific period of
time and file a series of forms with a court before he or she can become
naturalized. Naturalization records provide the
birth place and date, date of arrival into the United States, place of
residence at the time of naturalization, a personal description and
sometimes the ship names and the individual's occupation.
NGS Quarterly (NGSQ) system
A narrative report showing an individual’s descendants arranged by
generation, this uses an alternative numbering system to the Register
report. Every child in a family gets both a Roman numeral and an Arabic
numeral. A plus sign indicates that a child appears as a parent in the
next generation. Both the NGS Quarterly Report and Register Report make
good books. Named for the journal of the
National Genealogical Society.
New England Historical and Genealogical Register System
A genealogical numbering system showing an individual’s descendants
arranged by generation. All children in a family get Roman numerals (i,
ii, iii …) and every child later listed as a parent also gets an Arabic
numeral (2, 3, 4 …) so you can easily trace a family line from
generation to generation. Named for the journal of the
New England Historic Genealogical Society.
O
oral history
A collection of family stories told by a member of the family or by a
close family friend. You can transcribe an oral history onto paper, or
video or tape-record it. Oral histories often yield stories and
information you won't find written in records.
orphan asylum
An orphanage, or home for children whose parents have died.
P
passenger list
List of the names and information about passengers that arrived on ships
into the United States. These lists were submitted to customs
collectors at every port by the ship's master. Passenger lists were not
officially required by the United States government until 1820. Before
that date, the information about each passenger varied widely, from
names to number of bags.
pedigree
List of a person’s ancestors.
pension (military)
A benefit paid regularly to a veteran (or his widow) for military service or a military service-related disability.
Periodical Source Index (PERSI)
A print and online index to more than 2000 genealogy and local history
periodicals published in the U.S. and Canada between 1847 and 1985.
PERSI is a project of the Allen County Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., and
available through
HeritageQuest Online (access through a subscribing library).
plat
A drawing that shows the boundaries and features of a piece of property.
In genealogy, platting refers to creating such a drawing from a
metes-and-bounds or legal land description as a surveyor would have
done.
pre-emption
The right of a settler to acquire property that he had occupied before the government officially sold or surveyed it.
primary source
A record or other source created at the time of a particular event. A
primary source is always the original record—for example, birth and
death certificates are primary sources for those events. But an original
record is not always a primary source: For example, a death certificate
isn't a primary source of birth information.
probate records
Records disposing of a deceased individual's property. They may include
an individual's last will and testament, if one was made. The
information you can get from probate records varies, but usually
includes the name of the deceased, either the deceased's age at the time
of death or birth date, property, members of the family, and the last
place of residence.
public land
Land originally owned by the federal government and sold to individuals.
Q
Quaker
A member of the religious group called the Society of Friends. Quakers
kept detailed records of their congregations, including vital
statistics.
quarter section
in the rectangular survey system, one-fourth of a section of land, equal to 160 acres.
R
range
A row or column of townships lying east or west of the principal
meridian and numbered successively to the east and to the west from the
principal meridian.
real property
Land and anything attached to it, such as houses, building, barns, growing timber and growing crops.
rectangular survey system
The land survey method that the General Land Office used most often. It
employs base lines, one east-west and one north-south, that cross at a
known geographic position. Two large rectangles, called townships—each
generally 24 miles square—are described in relation to the base lines.
Townships are subdivided into sections.
S
self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE)
When you request records or other information from people and
institutions, you should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope
(SASE) in your letter.
secondary source
A record created after an event occurred, such as a biography, local
history, index, oral history interview or computer database. Original
records also can be secondary sources for information about earlier
events—for example, a marriage certificate would be a secondary source
for a birth date because the birth took place several years before the
time of the marriage. Use the details you find in secondary sources as
clues until you can verify them in original records.
section
A division of land within a township that measures one square mile (640
acres)—about 1/36 of a township. Sections were further subdivided into
half sections, quarter sections and sixteenth sections, or into lots.
Social Security Death Index
An index of Social Security Death records. Generally this includes names
of deceased Social Security recipients whose relatives applied for
Social Security Death Benefits after their passing. Also included in the
millions of records are approximately 400,000 railroad retirement
records from the early 1900s to 1950s.
Soundex
A system of coding surnames based on how they sound, which was used to
index the 1880 and later censuses The Soundex system is useful in
locating records containing alternate surname spellings. Soundex cards
are arranged first by Soundex code, then alphabetically by given name,
then (if necessary) alphabetically by place of birth.
state land
Land originally owned by a state or another entity, rather than the federal government.
T
township
In a government survey, it’s a square tract six miles on each side (36
square miles); a name given to the civil and political subdivisions of a
county.
tract
A parcel of land that isn’t fully contained within a single section.
Tracts within a township are numbered beginning with 37 to avoid
confusion with section numbers.
U
union list or catalog
A bibiliography or catalog of materials held by multiple libraries or
repositories, such as the National Union Catalog of Manuscript
Collections, a Library of Congress-generated finding aid for personal
papers in institutions nationwide.
usury
This term used to refer to all interest paid, not just illegally high interest as it does today.
V
visitation number
On a 1910 Miracode index card, the house number of the indexed individual.
vital records
The most basic information available for a person; these statistics—found in vital records—include birth (abbreviated b), marriage date and place (abbreviated m), divorce date and place if applicable (abbreviated div) and death date and burial place (abbreviated d and bur).
vivandière
A woman who followed a military regiment as a sutler or canteen
keeper. Though exact numbers are unknown, many women served in this
capacity during the American Civil War.
volume number
On a Soundex or Miracode index card, the number of the census volume in which the indexed name appears.
voter registration
A list of registered voters for each state. Voter registration lists are
sometimes the first public records of former slaves. Many states have
microfilmed their lists or make them available on interlibrary loan.
W
will
A document in which a person outlines what should be done with his or
her estate after death. The legal process to see that those instructions
are carried out is called probate.
witness
A person who sees an event and signs a document attesting to its content
being accurate. Although family members often served as witnesses,
don’t assume that witnesses on a record are relatives—friends, neighbors
and business associates also commonly witnessed documents.
X
X
What the signer of a document would often write if he couldn’t write his name. A witness would typically label this “his mark.”
Y
Y chromosome
genetic material passed down from father to son. Because surnames also
pass from father to son, Y-DNA tests can confirm (or disprove)
genealogical links through a paternal line. Y-DNA surname studies are
the most popular application of genetic genealogy.
Z
Zouaves
A name adopted by some Civil War Union volunteer regiments, who wore
brightly colored uniforms, similar to the French light infantry units of
the same name."
I hope this has been helpful in learning this new language.
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