Genealogy Glossary

Welcome to the Genealogy Glossary!

This glossary covers common genealogy terms that you’ll see throughout your research, including at the beginner level. Click on the links related to terms to see practical examples of the terminology. This list gets updated frequently, and feel free to reach out directly to make suggestions for terms to add.

Research tip: Use Ctrl+F to quickly search for the term you’re looking for!

List of Terms

A

Affidavit: A sworn written statement used in legal settings, often found in probate, pension, or land records.

Ancestor: A person from whom you are directly descended (e.g., parents, grandparents, great-grandparents).

Attestation Paper: A military enlistment document, particularly useful in Canadian WWI research.

B

Baptism Record: A church record noting a person's baptism, often includes names of parents and birth details.

Brick Wall: A research obstacle (usually a particular ancestor or branch of the family) where further progress is temporarily or permanently blocked.
See related blog posts: Brick Wall in Your Family Tree? Start Researching Siblings, How to Use Census Records to Trace Your Ancestors’ Migration Patterns (and Break Through Brick Walls!)

Burial Record: A church or cemetery document indicating where and when a person was buried.

C

Census: An official population count with details like name, age, birthplace, and occupation.
See related blog posts: How to Use Census Records to Trace Your Ancestors’ Migration Patterns, The 1931 Census of Canada

Collateral Research: Researching a relative who is not in your direct line (e.g., siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins).
See related blog posts: Brick Wall in Your Family Tree? Start Researching Siblings

Civil Registration: Government recording of vital events such as births, marriages, and deaths.

D

DNA Match: A person with whom you share a segment of DNA, indicating a common ancestor.

Deed: A legal document showing ownership of property.

Death Certificate: An official record of a person’s death, often includes cause of death and informant.

E

Enumeration District: A geographic area used during a census; knowing it helps locate hard-to-find entries.

Emigration: Leaving one country to settle in another.

F

Form 30A: Canadian immigration form used for individual arrivals between 1919–1924.
See related blog posts: How to Trace Immigrant Ancestors to Canada in the Early 20th Century

G

GEDCOM: A standardized file format for genealogy data, used for transferring trees between software.

Grantee/Grantor Index: Indexes found in land records showing buyers (grantees) and sellers (grantors).

H

Headstone: A grave marker inscribed with identifying details of the deceased.

Homestead Record: Documents related to land claims under programs like the Dominion Lands Act in Canada.

Heir: A person legally entitled to inherit property or titles.

I

Immigration Record: Documents showing a person’s arrival in a new country.
See related blog posts: How to Trace Immigrant Ancestors to Canada in the Early 20th Century

K

Kin: Relatives, either by blood or marriage.

L

Land Petition: A formal request for land, common in early Canadian settlement records.

Lineage: Direct descent from an ancestor.

M

Manuscript Census: A handwritten version of census schedules, often containing notations.

Matrilineal: Tracing descent through the mother's line.
See related blog posts: From Cheesemaking to Child Migration: What Tracing My Maternal and Paternal Lines Uncovered

Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA): The closest direct ancestor to two people who are related. This is often a couple, commonly referred to as MRCA couple or MRCAC.

N

Naturalization Record: A document showing when and where an immigrant became a citizen.

Name Variant: Alternate spellings or forms of a name that can appear in records.

Next of Kin: Closest living relative, often listed in military or legal documents.

O

Obituary: A death notice often including biographical details and family connections.
See related blog posts: Why Obituaries Became My Favourite Research Tool for Finding Recent Ancestors

Occupation : A person's job, found in census, vital, and military records.

Oral History: Stories passed down verbally through generations, often the basis for family lore.
See related blog posts: From Cheesemaking to Child Migration: What Tracing My Maternal and Paternal Lines Uncovered

P

Patrilineal: Tracing descent through the father’s line.
See related blog posts: From Cheesemaking to Child Migration: What Tracing My Maternal and Paternal Lines Uncovered

Pedigree Chart: A diagram showing a person’s direct ancestors.

Probate Record: Court proceedings and documents for the distribution of a deceased person’s estate.

R

Register: A book or database where official records are kept (e.g., parish register).

T

Transcription: A typed version of an original handwritten record.

Travel Manifest: A list of passengers on a ship, often showing origin and destination.

V

Vital Record: A document of a birth, marriage, or death, often held by civil authorities.

W

Will – A legal document stating how a person wants their property distributed after death.

Widow/Widower – A person whose spouse has died.

Y

Y-DNA – DNA inherited along the paternal line, useful for tracing surname lines.