General Genealogy Links

The following links are provided to facilitate genealogical research in general, not focusing on those in the other main sections (Marion, Regional, Iowa, National, Global). If there is a general genealogical page that you would recommend to be added to this list, please send a note with information about the page to the county coordinator. NOTE: I am in the middle of the process of converting this page from a list to a list of links with a description following the link

First name abbreviations

This page lists many common first name abbreviations that have been used. For example, Geo for George, Chas for Charles, Jno for John, and Marg for Margaret. It helps to be familiar with these as you review records.

City directory abbreviations

City directories are quite useful in confirming a residence of your ancestor and sometimes to know when a husband died (since sometimes the wife is listed as widow of him). They also usually give an occupation and sometimes an address. It is very helpful to know what h means vs r.

Occupational abbreviations (a to e) (f to o) (p to z)

In city directories and other historic documents, a person's occupation is often abbreviated. Use the three links above, based on the starting of the occupation, to identify your abbreviation.

Wikipedia: obsolete occupations   75 occupations   another list   a longer list

Given above are several links to general lists of old names for various occupations and their descriptions. Not enough lists? Try ThoughCo for other niche lists and more.

Genealogy Word Dictionary

This has a list of words and abbreviations that apply to genealogy with their explanations.

Wikipedia - deprecated disease names   TX-Montgomery   PA-Harrisburg   NJ-Morris   verywellhealth   Merriam-Webster

Given above are several links to general lists of old names (now deprecated) for various illnesses and their descriptions or modern names. Some of these come from other sites like this IAGenWeb/Marion site (and are so listed).

How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?

This page at https://www.copyright.gov gives the details for how long a copyright lasts.

Genealogical texts at the Internet Archive

This link points to free genealogical texts and resources at the Internet Archive. These can be searched or read online.

WorldGenWeb Project

This is the parent project to USGenWeb, which is the parent project to IAGenWeb. There are many other countries with pages for them here. We all came from somewhere, so learn about your origins.

Getting started?

This page is at American Ancestors (by New England Historic Genealogical Society) and is designed to give you tips to help you get started with genealogy. You need to sign up for a free account. If you are NOT a beginner, go to its main page and you will find a wealth of information. This site often puts on various webinars, some times at no cost to those who sign up. This is a rich site with many resources. Not all their resources are online, so an in-person visit in Boston may be worth your time, but prepare beforehand.

Beginners Guides at CyndisList.com

Cyndi's List is a great site with a very deep and very broad set of links to many sites. The page linked above is meant for beginners but click on the title in the upper left and you will be taken to the main page where you will find more than you can digest in one sitting. Enjoy!

The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy

While the number of online resources has greatly expanded since the creation of this book in it first edition, it is still an important book that can be quite valuable. Note that some libraries have this in the reference section (if not in circulation).

Ellis Island Online

One can search for passengers of ancestors here (if in the correct window of time for entering the U.S.).

Genealogy Libraries on the Web

This is an old site but it may still be useful. It lists libraries in the U.S., Finland, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia & New Zealand.

Behind the name

You can learn more the etymology and history of surnames, even listing common names by various origins. It is not exhaustive.

How many of Me?

You can enter in either your first name or last name and find out how many others in the US are like you. Try it out for fun.

Castle Garden - now replaced

An alternate place to search for records that you have searched for at the now defunct CastleGarden.org. Useful for immigration in window of 1830-1892.

Dick Eastman's Newsletter

This newsletter has a paid and a free version but its focus is mostly related to genealogy. Occasionally, there are other foci. I think it is well done.