Why is genealogy so popular? Genealogy forms a bond to one’s heritage and by studying your genealogy, you can develop a greater sense of self. Studying genealogy can also be enlightening, revealing family stories that are surprising, entertaining, or even a little scandalous. If nothing else, learning your genealogy will ensure that when you say “I do” on your wedding day, it’s not to your cousin.
The Internet has made the genealogy process easier, increasing resources and decreasing time spent looking for information. You may even find that someone in your extended family has already done much of the work for you. Many individuals create websites with names and surnames that contain marriage and birth information. Try “googling” your full name and see if you can find it. From there, you can begin looking at the other surnames on your extended family tree and where they come from. Googling your family name or doing a WhitePages.com
Some of these sites have millions of records of names, birthdates, locations, and military records. Check each of these out to see if they have any info on your family names. For most you can get a free trial membership for a couple weeks and stay on if you really like the site. search can also put you in touch with other extended family members that may be able to help you with your ancestral search.