The 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites (Really!)
Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA
Salt Lake City, Utah
E-mail: [email protected]
Confusion. Too many “favorites” lists. Too many “Top 100” lists. Too many opinions.
Indeed, that’s just what the myriad of “top website” lists are: somebody’s opinion. Well, it’s
time to make a better and truly useful list! Based on an extensive study of genealogical web
traffic, here are the 50 most visited real genealogy websites. Since these are the most visited
sites, they must be doing something right and providing some value to their visitors. Count
them down, and learn what you’ve been missing!
DISCUSSION OUTLINE
The Need for a List by Popularity
Minimize “opinion” ranking
WebSITES, not specific pages or parts of sites
Rankings to Merge
Alexa.com
Quantcast.com
Compete.com
Ranking.com
Creating “The List” to Rank
Alexa’s top 200+ under Genealogy category
Genealogy Sleuth List
<http://progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm>
Added cross-linked sites noted on Quantcast as “similar”
Yahoo & Google directories
Genealogy.org list
Family Tree Magazine’s regular lists (Top 101, etc.)
Nature of Included Sites
Sites specifically about genealogy, free or fee
Sites of primary interest to genealogists, even if others also use it (Ellis Island)
Multiple sites from same owner, if different content and URLs
Mirror sites counted only the highest ranking (Ellis Island and Ellis Island Records)
Must have a ranking in 3 of 4 ranking services
Nature of Excluded Sites
Government sites (unless separate URL or very strong genealogy focus)
Repository sites (unless separate URL)
General sites (Wikipedia, Google, etc.)
General Reference sites (dictionaries, gazetteers, calendars, name meanings, etc.)
Broad research sites: Larger audience than genealogists (Geographic, Royalty, etc.)
Meyerink; 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites, 2
Sub-sets of large site: Individual sites part of consortium (eg.: county GenWeb sites)
“Shill” (decoy) sites, link only to another site
Services to general audience that genealogists also use (vital records, investigation)
Sub-domains within a larger one (eg.: boards.ancestry.com)
Genealogical sub-folders within a larger non-genealogical site (Homestead.com, etc.)
Sites ranked on the basis of an ISP’s popularity due to many other sites it hosts
Coat of arms, heraldry and royalty/monarchy sites
Most family web sites (high ranking often attributed to ISP)
Most Podcast and Blog sites (traffic measured differently)
Differences in the Various Rankings
U.S. vs. International traffic
Excluded Sites (a representative sample)
Specifically Excluded Sites (with significant genealogical value)
Government sites:
U.S. General Land Office (Bureau of Land Management)
Geographic Names Information System (U.S. Geological Survey)
U.S. National Archives
Maryland Archives
Illinois Marriages (Secretary of State)
Utah Cemetery Burials Database (Utah Division of State History)
Sub-folder of another site:
Genealogy.About.com
RootsWeb Database Index
Broad audience (beyond genealogy):
VitalChek.com
VitalRec.com
Legacy.com (death memorials)
PeopleFinders.com (and many similar sites)
Civil War Soldiers & Sailors
Questionable Value/Not Strictly Genealogical
Shill sites for major commercial sites (example):
FamilyDeathRecords.com
Surnames: Behind the Name
TheTreeMaker.com (coat of arms)
Meyerink; 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites, 3
The Candidates
123Genealogy.com
1901CensusOnline.com
1911Census.co.uk
Academic-Genealogy.com
AccessGenealogy.com
Accessible Archives
AFGS.org
AfricanaHeritage.com
AfriGeneas.com
AGES-online.com
AHGP.org
AhnenForschung.net
AHSGR.org
AKgenweb.org
ALgw.org
ALHN.org
AllFamilyTree.com
All-genealogysites.com
AllredRoster.com
All-surnames.com
AmericanAncestors.com
Ancestor Guide.com
Ancestor Hunt.com
Ancestor Info.com
Ancestore.com
Ancestors at Rest.com
AncestorsOnBoard.com
Ancestral Findings.com
Ancestral Scotland.com
Ancestry.com
Ancient Faces
AncQuest.com
Archives.com
ARgenweb.org
Arphax.com
ASGRA.co.uk
AtoZmarriages.com
AutomatedGenealogy.com
Avotaynu
AZgenweb.org
BackupMyTree.com
Baronage Press
BCGcertification.org
BibleRecords.com
BillionGraves.com
BirthDatabase.com
Bklyn-Genealogy-Info.com
BlackSheepAncestors.com
British Origins.com
BritishNewspaperArchive
Brother’s Keeper
Burkes Peerage & Gentry
CAgenweb.com
CastleGarden.org
CelticCousins.net
Census Diggins.com
Census Finder.com
Census Links.com
Census-online.com
CGSlink.com
Civil War Data.com
Clooz.com
COgenweb.com
Colonial Ancestors.com
ColonialRoots.com
CookCountyGenealogy.com
CouchGenweb.com
Cousin Connect.com
CTgenweb.org
CyndisList.com
Czechoslovak Gen. Society
Daddezio.com
Danish Demographic Dbs
DAR.org
Dead Fred's Photo Archive
Dear Myrtle
Death Indexes.com
Death-records.net
DEgenweb.org
Desc. William the Conqueror
Discovering Surnames.com
Distant Cousin.com
DNATribes.com
DUPinternational.org
DutchAncestryCoach
E-familytree.net
Ellis Island.org
Eneclann.ie
English, Scottish and Irish Gnlgy.
EOGN.com
EveryNameIndex.com
Expert Genealogy.com
Famgen.net
Family Tree Assistant
Family Tree Circles.com
Family Tree Connection
Family Tree DNA.com
Family Tree Guide.com
Family Tree Legends
Family Tree Magazine
Family Tree Maker.com
Family Tree Searcher.com
Family Tree Seeker
FamilyChartMasters.com
FamilyChronicle.com
FamilyForest.com
FamilyHistory101.com
FamilyHistoryOnline.com
FamilyLink.com
FamilyOrigins.com
FamilyPursuit.com
FamilyRecords.gov.uk
FamilyRelatives.com
FamilyResearchLibrary.com
FamilySearch.org
FamilyTiez.com
FEEFHS.org
FGS.org
FGS-Project.org
FHexpos.com
Find A Grave.com
Find My Past.co.uk
FindYourFamilyTree.com
Fold3.com
FrancoGene.com
FreeBMD.org.uk
Free-genealogy.co.uk
FreeGenealogyArchives.com
FreeGenealogyLookups.com
FreeSurnameSearch.com
FultonHistory.com
GenCircles.com
GenDir.com
GeneaBios.com
GeneaBloggers.com
GeneaLinks.com
Genealogie.com
GenealogieOnline.nl
Genealogi.se
Genealogical Journeys.com
Meyerink; 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites, 4
Genealogical Publishing
Genealogical Studies.com
Genealogics.org
Genealogie.com
Genealogue.com
Genealogy Bank
Genealogy Blog
Genealogy BookLinks.com
Genealogy Branches.com
Genealogy Buff.com
Genealogy Center.info
Genealogy Forum.org
Genealogy Hosting.com
Genealogy In Time
Genealogy Links.net
Genealogy Magazine.com
GenealogyNE.com
Genealogy Place.com
Genealogy Portal.com
Genealogy Register
Genealogy Spot.com
Genealogy Store.com
Genealogy Today.com
Genealogy Toolbox.com
Genealogy.com
Genealogy.net (German)
Genealogy.org
Genealogy-books.com
Genealogy-Data.com
Genealogyforum.co.uk
GenealogyInc.com
Genealogy-links.org
GenealogyLocator.com
GenealogyPro.com
GenealogyRegister.com
GenealogySearch.com
GenealogySearch.org
Genealogy-search-advice
Genealogy-Search-Help
GenealogySystem.com
GenealogyTrails.com
GenealogyWise.com
GeneaMusings.com
Geneanet.org
Geneasearch.com
Genebase.com (DNA)
GeneGenie.org
Genery.com (software)
Genes Connected.co.uk
GeneSearch.com
GenesReunited.co.uk
GeneTree.com
Genexchange.org
Genfair.co.uk
GenForum
GenGateway.com
GenHomePage.com
Geni.com
Genline.com
GenLookups.com
GenoPro.com (software)
GenQuest.com
GenSource.com
GenTeam.at
GenUKI.org.uk
GenWed.com
GermanGenealogyGroup.com
GermanRoots.com
Global Genealogy.com
Godfrey.org
Goldbug.com
Gramps (software)
GraveAddiction.com
Harrold.org
HearthstoneLegacy.com
Heritage Pursuit.com
Heritage Quest Online
HeritageBooks.com
Higginson Books
Honey's Home of Genealogy
Honoring Our Ancestors
I Dream of Genealogy
IAgenweb.org
ICAPGen.org
ILgenweb.net
Immigrant Ships (ITSG)
Ingeneas.com
INgenweb.org
Interment.net
Internet-genealogy.com
IowaWPAgraves.org
Irish Genealogy
IrishAncestors.ie
IrishOrigins.com
ISBGFH.org
ItalianAncestry.com
ItalianGen.org
JewishGen.org
Kerchner.com
KindredKonnections
KindredTrails.com
KY Kinfolk.com
KYgenweb.net
LAgenweb.net
LegacyFamilyTree.com
Lineages.co.uk
Lineages.com
LinkPendium.com
LiveRoots.com
LongIslandGenealogy.com
Looking4kin.com
Lost Cousins.com
Macbeth Genealogical Services
MacGenealogist.com
MarriageDatabase.com
Mayflower Families.com
Mayflower History.com
MDgenweb.org
MIfamilyhistory.com
MIgenweb.net
Migrations.org
Misbach.org
Mocavo.com
MSgw.org
MTgenweb.org
Mundia.com
MyCinnamonToast.com
MyFamily.com
MyGenealogyHound.com
MyHeritage.com
MyKentuckyGenealogy.com
MyTrees.com
MyVirginiaGenealogy.com
NativeStudy.com
Naturalization Records.com
NCGenealogy.org
NCgenweb.us
New England Ancestors.org
New England Early Generations
New FamilySearch.org
Meyerink; 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites, 5
NewYorkFamilyHistory.org
Newspaper Abstracts.com
Newspaper Obituaries.net
NewspaperArchive.com
Newspapers.com
NGSgenealogy.org
NMgenweb.us
Norway Heritage.com
NVgenweb.org
Obit Central.com
Obit LinksPage.com
Obituary Registry.com
ObituaryDatabase.com
Obituary-Searches.com
OhanaSoftware.com
OGS.on.ca
OGS.org [Ohio]
OKgenweb.org
Old Directory Search.com
Old-Yearbooks.com
Olive Tree Genealogy.com
OneGreatFamily.com
One-name.org
Origins.net
Palam.org
Pa-roots.com
PastPlaces.com
PGSA.org
PolishRoots.org
PoliticalFamilyTree.com
PoliticalGraveyard.com
PoorhouseStory.com
Pricegen.com
ProGenealogists.com
ProgenyGenealogy.com
Quintin Publications
Rays-Place.com
Rodovid.org
RootDig.com
Roots Search.net
RootsChat.com
RootsIreland.ie
RootsMagic.com
RootsQuest.com
RootsUK.com
RootsWeb.com
Sampubco.com
ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk
ScotsFamily.com
Scotsgenealogy.com
ScotsOrigins.com
SDgenweb.com
Search for Ancestors.com
SearchRoots.com
SharedTree.com
SmallTownPapers.com
SMGF.org
Social Sec Death Index-search
SOG.org.uk
SortedByName.com
SSDMF.info
StamboomSurfPagina.nl
Stevemorse.org
Surname SuperSearch.com
SurnameArchive.com
SurnameFinder.com
SurnameGuide.com
SurnameSearchUtility.com
SurnameSite.com
SurnameWeb.org
SwissGenealogie.ch
The Genealogist (UK)
The Genetic Genealogist
The Olden Times.com
The Peerage
The Ships List.com
TheGAProject.org
TheUSgenweb.org
TNgenweb.org
Tresoar.nl
TribalPages.com
UFtree.com
UK Geneal. Interests Direct
UKBMD.org.uk
Unsere-Ahnen.de
US-Census.org
USCensusRecords.net
USGennet.org
USGenweb.org
USGWArchives.org
USGWCensus.org
USGWTombstones.org
USRoots.com
VAgenweb.org
Vital RecordsUS.com
Volksbund.de
VoorOuders.net
WAgenweb.org
We Relate.org
Web Biographies.com
WieWasWie.nl
WIgenweb.org
WikiTree.com
World Families.net
World GenWeb
World Roots.com
World Vital Records
WVgenweb.org
YSearch.org