When researching genealogy, it’s essential to keep an open mind. Different websites with specialized content can provide a range of resources to aid people in learning about their ancestry.
Look for a website with a large and varied database. Also, consider whether a site provides tools to build family trees and DNA testing services.
Search Engines
As one of the most widely-used genealogy websites, some offer tools to help you find your ancestors. You can search its records by place and time or filter them by relationship. The site also has various digitized items, like maps and church records. Its database of passenger lists for immigrants can be beneficial when tracing Hispanic ancestry because the Catholic Church kept the first records and only later transferred them to government-controlled civil registration records.
Other genealogy websites focus on specific regions and historical periods. Its other resources include naturalization records, recorded oaths of allegiance, and information about immigration.
Depending on the region of your ancestry, you can also try online portal websites with links to individual local or state websites. These sites can be a great starting point because they usually have information unavailable at national subscription genealogy databases.
Social Networking Sites
Many genealogy websites have social networking elements where you can build and share your family tree with friends, family, and others online. You can also get tips and advice from fellow users about the Hispanic community. These websites frequently demand a monthly subscription charge, while some may provide a free trial period.
One of the most popular online genealogy sites offers an extensive collection of records from around the world that is beneficial for tracing your Hispanic ancestry. It also offers a mobile app that syncs with your website as you add data, giving you a more up-to-date view of your tree.
Another valuable site for Hispanic ancestry specializes in historical newspapers. Its collection of Spanish-language newspapers is pervasive. Its search engine allows you to enter a surname or full name and the year range you’re interested in searching, as well as keywords like “obituary” and other keywords.
You can also find a list of Hispanic genealogical societies online. It includes both local groups and national societies that focus on Hispanic genealogy. Many of these societies are part of a larger organization.
Family Tree Websites
For those ready to put serious work into their genealogy research, subscription-based websites offer massive libraries of information and advanced tools like DNA analysis. Some sites also allow you to create and share a family tree with relatives.
These sites can be a great way to connect with distant relatives and find standard family connections. However, the accuracy of these tools varies, and it is essential to crosscheck your results with different sources.
One of the most comprehensive family tree sites on the internet features billions of records and is organized into various categories, including birth, death, marriage, census, tax, church, court, military, and historical resources. The site is available in English and Spanish and has many helpful tips for finding ancestors, including a list of popular online records.
Another excellent option for those looking into their genealogy is a collection of volunteer-run websites that offer help to researchers. Each website is organized by state and sometimes county and includes a variety of records and links to external projects. This is a handy resource for those researching their Hispanic ancestry.
If you want to explore your ancestry beyond the US, a portal to hundreds of UK repositories offers a wealth of information on British lineages. Alternatively, check out La Guia de Información Genealogica, a Spanish-language site with a good list of resources for Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Panama.
Public Record Sites
Tracing Hispanic ancestry can be challenging, but many resources are available. The first step is to identify your ancestor’s place of origin as precisely as possible. This can be done by talking to family members, researching old family papers and artifacts, and using government records such as censuses and naturalization records.
Another important thing to remember is that Hispanic names may be written differently from English names. Hispanic countries follow a matrilineal system in which children are given two surnames, one from each parent. The father’s surname is typically apellido paterno, and the mother’s maiden name is apellido materno.
Fortunately, many major genealogy websites have resources dedicated to helping people find their Spanish roots. For example, ancestry records have an entire collection of records from Spain and Latin America and a Spanish National Archives (PAREOS) website, making finding Mexican and Spanish colonial records much more accessible.
Many Hispanic countries also have genealogical societies and national institutes dedicated to helping families trace their roots. Also, online records recently indexed their digitized civil registration state collections, now searchable from the catalog and Historical record searches.
