Dictionary of Genealogical Terms
Ancestor your relatives who lived before you
Census a listing of (supposedly) every person living in a country. The first US Census was in 1790. Until 1850 only the head of household was listed. The 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire. Most states also have census records.
Characteristics actions and attitudes of a particular family
Christian Name the first and middle names given a child at birth
Coat of Arms A symbol showing the traits of a specific family, usually given to royalty
Collateral family members who are not in your direct lines, i.e. cousins, aunts and in-laws
Country of Origin the country from which your earliest emigrant ancestor came
Direct Line the ancestor to whom you are most closely related, as a father, mother, grandfather, grandmother etc
Documentation written proof of any genealogical fact
Family Group Sheet a paper which contains information on one specific family; a mother, father and children
Family History Center Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints records kept at a local or regional church
Genealogy the study of a persons family, its origins, and the progression from one generation to the next
Genetic Traits similar health patterns that flow through a family
Heritage the characteristics, traits and monetary gains of a family passed from one generation to the next
Homestead property given to early settlers after they had lived on the land for a specified amount of time
Immigration the movement of people from one foreign country to another. A person involved in this is called and emigrant
Indirect Line a family to whom you are related, but which branches off your direct line
Lineage the connection between a common family
Link the joining of two separate family lines, as though marriage
Migration the movement of a family or group of people from one part of the country to another
National Archives the largest repository of government genealogical materials in the US, located in Washington DC
Naturalization the act of becoming a citizen of a new country after immigration
Oral History facts and stories spoken from one person to another
Passenger Lists a roster of people who traveled from a foreign country on ships to another country
Pedigree a genealogical form which shows (usually) five generations of a family
Pensions money paid to someone after they reach retirement age
Primary Line the decadency through a persons father or mother
Primary Source a resource which can be documented an proven, as a birth or death certificate or marriage license
Private (Closed) Records records such as adoption and juvenile files which are not open to the public
Probate the passage thorough the court of the material wealth of an individual to their heirs
Public Records records which are available to the general public, such as birth marriage, death, tax and land records
Secondary Line the family which follows a grandmother or great-grandmothers lines
Secondary Source a written records such as newspapers, census or books; which may or may not be accurate
Surname the family or last name of a group of related individuals
Vital Records a collection of critical information (primarily birth and death) in one central location in a state
