OikogenHow to start a family tree for free
To start a family tree, you need what you already know, a few conversations, and somewhere to keep it. Here's a simple way to begin for free.
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Start with yourself
Write down your full name, when and where you were born, then your parents, brothers and sisters. Working from what you know and moving backwards is the most reliable way to build a tree.
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Go back one generation at a time
Add your grandparents, then their parents. For each person, note full names (including maiden names), birth and death dates and places, and marriages. Leave blanks where you don't know yet.
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Ask your relatives
Older relatives are the best source you have. Ask what they remember about their parents and grandparents, and record the conversations. Our guide to recording your grandparents' stories has questions to ask.
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Look through what's already at home
Birth, marriage and death certificates, old letters, family Bibles, funeral cards, and the backs of photographs often hold names and dates.
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Note where each fact came from
“Grandma said” is a source, and so is a certificate. Writing it down helps you later, when two relatives remember things differently.
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Choose where to keep it
A paper chart works for a few generations. For more, use family tree software that can export a GEDCOM file, the standard format, so your work is never locked into one tool.
Be careful with living relatives
Details about people who are alive, such as birthdays, addresses and health, are personal. Avoid publishing them in public trees, and ask before you share.
Start your tree by telling the story
Oikogen is a family tree app that you fill in by talking, free while it's in beta. Tell it what you know, such as “my mum's parents were Rose and Tom, and they married in 1952,” and it builds the tree, asks you to check each person, and keeps track of where every fact came from. There's no account, and your family data never leaves your device.