Frequently asked questions
A family tree is a visual chart that maps out your lineage. It works by using a branching structure where you start with yourself in the present and move backward through generations, connecting parents to children with vertical lines and spouses with horizontal lines. Alternatively the structure can run horizontally with children running vertically.
- Generations: Each horizontal tier represents a different generation, moving up to parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
- Direct Ancestors: Your direct line of descent flows vertically, tracking the people you are directly biologically descended from.
- Branches: Siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins branch off horizontally from the direct line, which allows you to see how your extended family connects
In this family tree there are two ways that names have been recorded.
The first is showing married (or changed) names as the primary name and the birth name in brackets. [Current Name] (Birth Surname)
Example: Margaret Mary Cunningham (Gladu)
The second way to show name changes are using the format label née. The structure would be the following: [Current Name] (née [Birth Surname], formerly [First Married Name]
Example:
Margaret Mary Cunningham (née Gladu)
Elizabeth Fortensky (née Taylor, formerly Hilton, Wilding, Todd, Fisher, Burton, and Warner)
Surname is the Last Name or Family Name.
A given (or first) Name is the name bestowed at birth.
née is birthname for women and né is the birthname for men.
U.L.N is the acronym for an unknown last name
Sr./Jr. is a suffix and not part of the name.