The genealogical site Geneanet has a free search engine that allows you to find out more about family names, such as their geographical distribution over a certain period of time.
Digging a little deeper into our family history, it’s not strange that we sometimes wonder where the surnames we inherited from our ancestors come from and where in the world there are more people who bear them.
The digital age has made it much easier to access this information in just a few minutes. One of the platforms specialized in this field is Geneanet which allows us to trace the origin of surnames, their geographical distribution and even their meaning.
The tool to know the origin of your last name
To use the Geneanet tool, it is not necessary to download an application, but this can be done by visiting the official website and searching for the option “Resources” then go to “Origin of surnames” .
Entering this section, you must write the surname you are interested in in the search field, press the red magnifying glass button and from there an interactive map will be displayed on the screen with its distribution in the world. In areas where the inherited name is more concentrated, the site reflects it with green dots.
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At the top of the map, users will see a timeline with which they can explore the evolution of the surname over the years, both in older and more recent documents. For those that are more common, Geneanet also offers a brief description of their meaning.
Other data that can be obtained are: number of people with this surname in certain regions, the family trees that bear it and the variations it might present in other regions. These resources are free, although to use others you have to pay a premium subscription on the platform.
Geneanet works from genealogical data entered by the community itself, which today, according to its website, is made up of 5 million people.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
