genealogist
Family tree builder
A genealogist is a person who traces family histories and lineages.
The work involves researching records—birth certificates, census data, immigration documents, wills—to construct family trees and discover ancestors.
Professional genealogists may be hired to establish inheritance claims or simply to satisfy curiosity about family origins: The genealogist traced her lineage back to colonial Virginia.
Stored historical documents
- recordsStored data or albums
- censusOfficial population count
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
- primary sourcesFirsthand historical evidence
vital records · birth certificates · death certificates · marriage records · probate · wills · deeds · immigration records
Record of descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- forebearsAncestral family members
progenitors · ancestors · roots · family tree · generations · forefathers · ascendants · parentage
Analyzing hereditary material
- mitochondrialOf cell's energy centers
- Y-chromosomeMale-determining genetic unit
- haplogroupGenetic ancestry classification
- genetic markersIdentifiable DNA sequence locations
paper trail · chain of custody · triangulation · endogamy · brick wall
Those connected by blood
- descendantsThose who come after
- progenyOne's biological descendants
- offspringBiological descendants produced
- siblingsFellow offspring
cousins · nephews · nieces · grandparents · great-grandparents · kinfolk · extended family · nuclear family
Shared cultural heritage group
- cultural identityBelonging through shared traditions
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
legacy · birthright · patrimony · heirlooms · diaspora · migration · homeland · indigenous roots
archives
Stored historical documents
- recordsStored data or albums
- censusOfficial population count
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
primary sources · vital records · birth certificates · death certificates · marriage records · probate · wills · deeds · immigration records · naturalization
pedigree
Record of descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- lineageDescent from progenitors
forebears · progenitors · ancestors · roots · family tree · generations · forefathers · ascendants · parentage · extraction
DNA testing
Analyzing hereditary material
- mitochondrialOf cell's energy centers
- Y-chromosomeMale-determining genetic unit
- haplogroupGenetic ancestry classification
genetic markers · paper trail · chain of custody · triangulation · endogamy · brick wall
relatives
Those connected by blood
- descendantsThose who come after
- progenyOne's biological descendants
- offspringBiological descendants produced
siblings · cousins · nephews · nieces · grandparents · great-grandparents · kinfolk · extended family · nuclear family · half-siblings
ethnicity
Shared cultural heritage group
- cultural identityBelonging through shared traditions
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
inheritance · legacy · birthright · patrimony · heirlooms · diaspora · migration · homeland · indigenous roots · nationality
pedigree chart
Diagram tracing ancestral lines
- genealogistsfamily historian
- ancestryancestors, kinship, ancestor, clan, ancestry
- hobbyistshobbyist, hobbyists, enthusiasts, crafters, collectors
- genealogyfamily trees, family history, descendants, ancestors, ancestry tracing
- knowledge keepersarchivist, curator, historian, librarian, loremaster
- Antiquariansantiquary, John Carter, collector, historian, archivist
genealogistbiographer
One who writes lives
autobiographer · memoirist · hagiographer · obituarist · diarist
- genealogical treeDiagram showing ancestral relationships
- genealogical recordsDocuments tracing family lineage
- genealogical chartDiagram tracing bloodlines