Find Better Matches

Find more results, when you've gotten too few.

  • Search for variations of the name's spelling - Many names have evolved different spellings over time. Sometimes even an individual person's name can change spelling over time, especially in historical records.
  • Use a broader date range, or no date range - To collect mentions over a lifetime use a range that includes multiple decades. Keep in mind historical birth, marriage and death dates can be less accurate than modern ones. Sometimes even modern obituaries are published well after the death.
  • Enter only a Last Name - If your Last Name is uncommon, try entering only a Last Name without a First Name.

Find the best results, when you've gotten too many.

  • Add more details to the search - Click the "Advanced Search" link. Add a keyword to the include box. A good keyword is the name of a school, another relative, or an organization that would be included in the record.
  • Limit your search to a date range - Start with a range of a few decades to focus your search on an individual lifetime.
  • Exclude keywords you aren't interested in - For example: Reduce records returned from a state by entering that state in the exclude box. Connect multiple keywords together with "OR": Vermont OR Connecticut OR military

Search for mentions of an organization

Some users are interested in searching for records with connections to other people, locations, companies, organizations, etc.. To do this, simply enter the keywords that would appear in the Keywords field. For example:

Searching for a home town -- Enter the name of a city or town in the Keywords field.

Searching for a company name -- Enter the name of a company in the Keywords field.

Searching for a college or university -- Enter the name of a college or university in the Keywords field.

FREE Newsletter!

Get online search tips, exclusive offers and other helpful information to aid your genealogy research.