How to Build a Family Tree
A practical guide to creating your family tree from scratch. Learn how to gather, organize, and visualize your family connections.
Building a family tree is a wonderful way to document your heritage and connect with your roots. Whether you're creating a simple chart for a school project or starting a lifelong genealogy journey, this guide will help you get started.
The key is to start simple and expand gradually. You don't need to know everything about your family to begin—start with what you know and grow from there.
Types of Family Trees
Ancestor Tree
Starts with you and branches upward to parents, grandparents, etc. Shows your direct lineage.
Descendant Tree
Starts with an ancestor and shows all their descendants. Great for family reunions.
Hourglass Tree
Shows both ancestors and descendants of a central person. Provides a complete picture.
Fan Chart
A decorative semicircular display. Beautiful for printing and framing.
Step-by-Step Guide
Start with yourself
Begin your family tree with yourself as the starting point. Record your full name, birth date, birthplace, and any other relevant information like marriage dates or current residence.
Add your parents
Add your mother and father to the tree. Include their full names (including maiden names), birth dates and places, marriage date and location, and death information if applicable.
Expand to grandparents
Continue adding your grandparents on both sides. This gives you a four-generation tree. Include as much detail as you have, but don't worry if some information is missing.
Add siblings and cousins
Expand horizontally by adding your siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This creates a fuller picture of your family and helps identify potential sources of information.
Include important details
Add meaningful information to each person: photos, stories, occupations, military service, immigration details, and sources where you found the information.
Verify your information
Double-check facts against official records when possible. Mark uncertain information so you know what needs verification. Quality matters more than quantity.
Share with family
Share your tree with relatives to get corrections, additions, and stories you might have missed. Family collaboration often uncovers new branches and corrects errors.
What Information to Include
Essential Information
- Full name (including maiden name)
- Birth date and place
- Death date and place (if applicable)
- Marriage date and place
- Relationships to other people
Nice to Have
- Photographs
- Occupation
- Stories and anecdotes
- Military service
- Immigration information
- Source citations
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- !Adding unverified information: Don't copy other people's trees without verification—errors spread quickly.
- !Ignoring women's maiden names: Always record maiden names—they're essential for tracing maternal lines.
- !Not citing sources: Document where you found each piece of information for future reference.
Build your family tree for free
Create a beautiful, interactive family tree in minutes. No credit card required.