Genealogy Search Tips

You wouldn't think so many people have the same name, but when you search even for an archaic surname in our archives, you are often presented with hundreds or thousands of results. We think the search results should be more narrowly targeted on your goal. Follow the tips below to help you find the person you are looking for.

  • Use full names

    • The easiest way to narrow your results is to research full names rather than just surnames or family names.


    Smith alone appears far too many times to sort through them all. Time to narrow the search to our family member Robert Smith:


  • Avoid nicknames

    • Avoid nicknames or shortenings of names; most newspaper articles will use full names. Plus, of course, there are far more Reggie's than Reggie Bursey's. Combining the full name search with the true first name gives the best result. Example: A search for "Reginald Bursey" will return far fewer (i.e. - more targeted) results than "Reggie"


    Now try it with his full name:


  • Remember the era

    • Many old newspapers will print information in a different manner than contemporary papers do. For example, it was common practice to refer to a married woman as "Mrs. John Doe" prior to the 20th century. Likewise, some newspapers used "Death Notices" rather than "Obituaries" as a header. Try researching era-specific variations if you are having difficulty in your searches.


  • Remember the date

    • Refining your search by date is one of the more powerful ways to focus your search. Find the years that your family member lived, and narrow the search to only those dates. This helps to exclude others with the same name from your search.


  • Don't search for mere records

    • One of the benefits of using a digital newspaper archive rather than a compilation of records is the variety of things you can find. Locating family members in various news stories is one of the highlights of using our archive. While adding "Death Notice" or "Obituary" is important to your search if you are looking specifically for obituaries, try your search without those terms and see what you can find. You might be surprised.


  • LiveHelp

    • If you are a member and there is something you are looking for that you cannot find, but are sure must be in the archives, log in and then the Live Help Button will show up in the in the upper right hand corner of every page. Click on the chat button to ask for help from one of our site content experts. They can't do full time research for you, but they might have an extra tip or two to help you find a particular story.