Here is a glossary of common genealogy terms:
DOB: Date of birth
DOD: Date of death
Surname: Family name or last name
Adoption: Adoption is the legal process through which a person or couple assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person’s biological or legal parents. Through adoption, the adoptive parents take on all the responsibilities of caring for and raising the child as if they were the biological parents.
“Out of Wedlock”: Refers to a child born to parents who are not married to each other at the time of the child’s birth. This term is used to describe a child born to parents who are not in a legal marital relationship.
Orphan: A child who has lost one or both parents. This loss could be due to the death of the parents, abandonment, or other circumstances that result in the child being left without parental care or support.
Step parent: A step-parent is an individual who is married to the biological parent of a child but is not the child’s biological parent. The step-parent assumes a parental role in the child’s life through marriage to one of the child’s biological parents.
Incest: Incest is a term used to describe sexual relations or marriage between close relatives, such as siblings, parents, and children, or other blood relatives who are not allowed to marry or engage in sexual activities due to social, cultural, legal, or moral prohibitions.
Ancestor: A person from whom one is descended.
Descendant: A person who is descended from a particular ancestor.
Genealogy: The study of family history and the tracing of lineages.
Pedigree: A chart or diagram showing the ancestral history of an individual or family.
Family Tree: A diagram representing the relationships between individuals in a family.
Generations: The grouping of individuals by their place in the family tree, such as parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.
Lineage: Direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree.
Cousin: A relative who shares a common ancestor but is not a direct descendant or ancestor.
In-law: A relative by marriage rather than by blood.
Descendant Chart: A chart that shows the descendants of a particular ancestor.
Ancestral Chart: A chart that shows the ancestors of a particular individual.
Siblings: Brothers and sisters.
Extended Family: Relatives beyond the nuclear family, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.
Kinship: The relationship between individuals who are descended from a common ancestor.
Endogamy: The practice of marrying within a specific social group or tribe.