Genealogy Terms Glossary
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Ahnentafel - a table of one's ancestors, from the German
Ahnen (ancestor) and Tafel (table or list).
Ahnentafel Numbers - numbering system used to identify
each individual in a family tree. The numbers follow the format
that an individual's father is twice that individual's number,
and that an individual's mother is twice that individual's number
plus one.
Ancestor - a person you have descended from.
Ancestor Chart - report or chart that shows a person and
all of their ancestors in a graphical format. As opposed to the
Ahnentafel which is more of a narrative
report.
Ancestral File - a database of names in linked genealogies
on CD-ROM. Contains names and addresses of people that have submitted
information.
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
- type of file on a computer that is usually readable / writable
by most word processors.
Bibliography - list of sources.
Birth certificate - documentation about one's birth.
Cascading Pedigree Chart - A series of pedigree charts that span multiple generations for an individual and then for each person in the last generation of the first chart.
Census - periodic official tally of the population with details as to ages, sexes, occupations, etc., U.S. Federal censuses have been taken every 10 years since 1790.
Citation - page or section reference of a source.
Death certificate - documentation of one's death.
Descendant - a person that has descended from you.
Descendant Chart - report or chart that shows a person and all of their descendants in a graphical format. As opposed to the Modified Register which is more of a narrative report.
Facts - Different events or attributes you would like to include about a person. Events such as graduation, retirement, and engagement and attributes such as Social Security number, military service, and occupation.
Family Group Sheet - A report listing the father, mother and each child of a family.
Family History Centers (FHC) - smaller branches of the FHL found nationwide.
Family History Library (FHL) - holds over 2 million rolls of microfilmed records, 400,000 microfiche, and 300,000 books. It also houses an extensive collection of written manuscripts including family histories, local histories, indexes, periodicals, and aids to help in genealogical research. It is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
FamilySearch - CD-ROM available at Family History Center produced by the Mormon church. Contains the International Genealogical Index, Ancestral File, SSDI, TempleReady and Military Death Index.
GEDCOM - acronym for "GEnealogical Data COMmunication". A standard format created by the LDS Church that allows genealogical software programs to transfer data.
Given names - the names given to an individual by his/her parents.
Index - alphabetical list of names taken from a specific set of records.
International Genealogical Index (IGI) - database of names that have been extracted from various original records from all over the world.
LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
Military Death Index - database of 100,000 men and women who died in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Modified Register - a book of one's descendants.
Note - text that tells about a person or fact. Additional detail about the fact it is associated with. Does not tell where the information came from, as a "source" does.
Passenger List - list of names and information about passengers that came to the United States on ships.
Pedigree Chart - a chart which includes the direct ancestors (parents, grand-parents, etc.) of an individual. Does not include brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or other relatives.
Prefix Title - precedes one's name. (i.e.: Dr. or Mrs.)
Progenitor - direct ancestor .
Repository - place where a source can be found. (i.e.: Library, History center)
Social Security Death Index (SSDI) - index of Social Security Death Benefit records which document how much the government has paid to an individual (spouse, child, etc.) as a result of a relative's death. An individual will appear in the Social Security Death Benefits Index if he or she died between 1937 and 1993 and had applied for Social Security during their lifetime, and someone must have applied for their Social Security death benefits at the time of death.
Soundex - a method of giving names sound codes. This was created in the 1930's due to the fact that names can be spelled in many different ways. By grouping together surnames that sound alike, individuals can search for ancestors even when the surname had several different spellings.
Source - a book, document, or other record that supplies primary information.
Suffix Title - after one's name (i.e.: Jr., Sr., Duke of Wales).
Surname - the family name that is passed down directly through generations or created.
Vital Records - document the major events in a person's life: birth, marriage, divorce, death. (i.e: birth certificates, death certificates, etc.)
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