New to genealogy? This genealogy glossary explains the most common terms you’ll come across when researching your family history. Whether you’re puzzled by parish records, unsure what “Intestate” means, or want to understand census terms, this beginner-friendly guide will help you feel more confident as you explore your Scottish, Irish, and UK ancestry.
- Ag lab
- Ancestor
- Archive
- Baptism
- BMD
- Brick wall
- Burial
- Census
- Census substitute
- Civil registration
- Collateral line
- Deed
- Descendant chart
- Emigration
- Enumeration
- Enumeration district
- FHL (Family History Library)
- GEDCOM
- Genealogy
- GRO (General Register Office)
- Guardian
- Head of household
- Heir
- Illegitimate
- Immigration
- Index
- Indexing
- Inquest
- Intestate
- Land records
- Lineage
- Maiden name
- Manuscript
- Microfilm
- Monumental inscription (MI)
- Naturalisation
- Non-conformist
- OPR (Old Parish Registers)
- Original record
- Parish records
- Patronymic
- Pedigree chart
- Place of origin
- Primary source
- Probate
- Register
- Repository
- Secondary source
- Soundex
- Transcript