Discover Your Heritage

There are many resources you can use to discover your heritage. You might begin by asking relatives what country of origin their parents came from. Perhaps you have already dug through family photo albums and important documents. There are many online resources that also can help you figure out your heritage.

A good place to start is with your last name, or your surname. Enter your surname into the search engine on the Genealogy Today website at Genealogy Today to start. This automatically goes through their databases to find the name, and gives you a list of where that particular name turned up. They have a large database called “Family Tree Connection”. Other databases in their special collections include Funeral Cards, Railroad Employees, Ration Books, Criminal Records, and Business Cards. A list will be produced with some details you can look at, and some that you will have to sign up to the website to view. This is just one example of an online resource to help you find your heritage.

Another resource you can use is one that includes your actual DNA. The Genetic Genealogy website can be found at DNA Ancestry Project. Go there to find out more. You can purchase a kit that allows you to send a swab of cheek tissue to their lab. Your DNA is checked for certain markers. Next, your DNA is compared to the DNA of everyone else around the world that they have taken a sample of. You can find out where on earth other people with similar DNA markers to yours lived, how long ago, and what other relatives you share. It is possible that you will find that you share the same heritage as a famous historical figure!

You can choose from three packages to get started. A starter package will let you search your paternal heritage. Another package gives you a higher resolution of a search through your paternal heritage. A third package allows you to trace your maternal line. There are different prices for each one. Genetic Genealogy is not the only website that offers this kind of service, so, you can shop around if you want to.

My Heritage allows you to upload family photos. Other members of this site can search them, and you may find relatives you never knew. You must sign up for this website before you can use it. Go here My Heritage for more details.