2. Intro to Genealogy: What Records Should You Start With?
- Sarah Kelly
- Nov 12
- 7 min read
Once you’ve gathered what you can from home and family (see How to Start Your Family Tree), the next big question is: what records do I look for? The fact of the matter is that the majority of records genealogists use weren't made for genealogists. Our ancestors were included in records as they interacted with some higher agency, typically a governmental authority or church body, so the purpose of the records were most likely not to help a future descendant uncover their ancestral roots. Nevertheless, many documents can still be used to do exactly that.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of historical documents out there—ship lists, probate files, land deeds, pension rolls. Many genealogists ask: where do you even begin?
The good news is you don't have to dive into the deep end just yet. There are certain record types that are easier to find, more accessible online, and provide the foundational facts to start building your tree. You may not even need to look at more niche record sets unless you're wanting specific information on an ancestor's social history. The following list includes many of the top records I recommend to all beginning researchers, and where to find them.
Census Records: The Backbone of American Genealogy
If you’re researching in the United States, census records are usually your best starting point, especially if you're trying to establish an ancestor's family group. Taken every ten years, the U.S. Federal Census can help you locate your ancestors’ names, ages, places of residence, occupations, birthplaces, family members, and more, depending on the decade in which the census was taken. Not every census followed the same template, so it's important to be aware of what you can and can't find in each decade's census record (see FamilySearch Wiki's article and attached census guides).
Why they’re useful:
Helps you track families over time
Gives clues to birth years, migration patterns, and household structure
Available from 1790 to 1950 (most recent publicly released)
Where to find them:
Ancestry.com (subscription)
FamilySearch.org (free)
MyHeritage (subscription)
National Archives (free access to original records)
📝 Tip: Work backward one census at a time to confirm relationships and consistency in records.
Like any human-recorded document, however, census records are not flawless. The information recorded about your ancestors was at the liberty of both the informant (the person providing the information) and the enumerator (the person recording the information).
Sometimes the head of household wasn’t home when the enumerator arrived, so another family member may have answered on their behalf, leading to mistakes in ages, birthplaces, or even relationships. Other times, the enumerator may have misunderstood accents, guessed at spellings, or used abbreviations that later caused confusion. Literacy, language barriers, and memory lapses could all influence how a name or date appeared on the form.
Because of this, census records should always be viewed as a snapshot filtered through human perception, not an infallible truth. They’re invaluable for building context and tracking families over time, but every detail—especially names, ages, and birthplaces—should be cross-checked against other sources whenever possible.
Vital Records: Birth, Marriage, and Death
Known as “BMDs,” these records provide the facts every family tree needs. Depending on the time and place, you might find certificates, licenses, church registers, or civil registrations.
Birth Records
Usually contain full name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents’ names.
Some early birth records may only list the father or none at all.
Prior to civil registration, church records were often responsible for recording dates of birth and baptism for their congregation.
Availability varies depending on time period and state (sometimes even by county).
Marriage Records
Can include names, ages, parents, and places of residence.
Licenses and certificates may be separate documents.
Availability varies depending on time period and state (sometimes even by county).
Death Records
Often include name, date and place of death, cause of death, age, and burial details.
Modern death certificates may list birth date, parents, and spouse.
Availability varies depending on time period and state (sometimes even by county).
Where to find them:
County or state vital records offices
Online databases (Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc.)
Historical societies and state archives
Local churches (especially for pre-civil registration events)
📝 Tip: Not all states began vital registration at the same time—research local laws to know what’s available.
You may have noticed a common theme in the BMD record descriptions. The availability of all records is highly determined by location. If you're researching in the United States, this is not just state-level, but often county or town-level, as well. Truthfully, this is the case for all records, but I have often felt it to be the most true when searching for BMD records, since these records are so closely tied to local jurisdictions and administrative changes over time. Counties split, boundary lines shifted, and towns were absorbed or renamed, each change potentially moving where records are stored or whether they still exist at all. A birth that occurred in one county in 1850 might now fall under a completely different county’s archives, depending on redistricting.
Additionally, civil registration didn’t begin at the same time everywhere. In some U.S. states, it wasn’t consistently enforced until the early 20th century, leaving gaps where no official records were kept. In those cases, church records often serve as the best substitutes, since baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded long before governments mandated such documentation. Understanding not only where your ancestor lived, but also what authority governed that area at the time, is essential for knowing where to look and what might (or might not) exist. Research Like A Pro with Diana Elder, AG, and Nicole Dyer provides expert advice on creating Locality Guides for your research.
Obituaries
Obituaries are hidden gems that can contain a wealth of information—names of children, spouses, siblings, birthplaces, and even details about military service, education, or community involvement. In the work I do for the Break Investigative Group, obituaries are often central to our investigations.
Why they’re helpful:
Often mention multiple family members
May help you link multiple generations or find married names
Great for narrowing down death dates
Sometimes provide a simplified timeline of an ancestor's life
Where to find them:
Newspaper archives (try Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank, or your local library)
Funeral home websites or historical society collections
Obituary indexes on FamilySearch or state genealogy sites
📝 Tip: If you can’t find an obituary online, call the local library—they often have newspaper microfilm or obituary files.
Again, just like any record, obituaries can also be subject to human error. Obituaries are often written not for the deceased, but for those they left behind, and those family members may not be willing to face or reveal facts in their relative's life that genealogists would want to know (children from affairs, divorces, multiple marriages, etc.) It may not be conducive to Uncle Johnny's memory to highlight his multiple messy marriages in his final obituary. Future posts will dive into more examples of the types of human errors we might find in our ancestors' final written legacies!
City Directories: The 19th-Century Phone Book
If you’re trying to fill in the gaps between census years, city directories are your secret weapon. Think of them like old-fashioned phone books (without the phone numbers), listing residents, addresses, and occupations.
Why they’re useful:
Track families year by year
Verify addresses for further local record searches
Great for finding widows (often listed as “Mrs. John Smith, widow”)
Where to find them:
Local libraries or archives
Internet Archive and Google Books (digitized editions for many cities)
📝 Tip: Directories can help you distinguish between people with similar names living in the same area.
As seen in the above examples, directories often listed people in two ways: by last name AND by address. These two listings may provide different types of information of importance for a genealogist. While the surname listing helps you analyze yearly changes in occupation or quickly identify others with the same last name (such as relatives), the address listing offers valuable context about your ancestor's neighborhood, socioeconomic status, and even what other adults may be living in the same household. Directories can even help establish your ancestor's F.A.N. Club, providing clues as to potential family members living on the same street. When used alongside maps, tax rolls, or city histories, these details help you reconstruct not just who your ancestors were, but how and where they lived within their communities.
In the examples above, the address listing reveals that Mrs. Bessie A. Archibald was likely the only adult living at her residence. The small bell symbol beside her name indicates that her home had a telephone, while other entries with a circled "O" show that those individuals owned their home. Since Mrs. Archibald's entry lacks this symbol, we can infer that she was likely renting or the home was owned by someone else. Meanwhile, the surname listing provides additional context, identifying her as the widow of Lorenzo and confirming that her residence was a house, as shown by the lowercase "h" preceding her address.
Getting the Most Out of These Records
Starting with these four types of records—censuses, vital records, obituaries, and city directories—gives you a strong foundation for your family tree. Together, they can confirm names, dates, relationships, and movements over time. These records are hardly the only records available, but they'll provide you with a great foundation upon which future research can build.
As you research, remember:
Always record your sources (even if it’s just a screenshot or a quick note for now).
Pay attention to every detail—even neighbors in census records may turn out to be relatives.
Cross-reference! One record is rarely the whole story.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Genealogy can feel like a puzzle with half the pieces missing—but that’s also what makes it exciting. See what public trees online have come up with, but take everything with a grain of salt. One incorrectly identified record can be replicated throughout trees, leading to many people chasing the wrong ancestors in their trees. If you ever want a second set of eyes on a challenging branch of your tree, professionals around the world are here to help!
Have a question or success story to share? Drop a comment below or get in touch for a consultation. And be sure to check back for the next post in the Intro to Genealogy series!
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