Find living relatives - trace lost cousins, fellow family historians, adopted siblings and more

Undertaking genealogical research is a great way to gain an understanding of how you got here, and to develop a much broader view of what constitutes a family.

Looking at your family history research as three-dimensional, rather than just tracing back in time, can be fascinating, rewarding and sometimes life-changing.

Many living relatives, most of whom you will most likely never have met, all form part of your extended family. A single ancestor in the distant past may now have descendants throughout the globe, all with a shared history and genetic heritage.

An extended family tree

Using the Living Relatives records on findmypast.com you can search the current electoral roll and telephone directory - an ideal tool if you are planning a family reunion, however big or small it may be.

If you have uncovered previously unknown ancestors in the census records you may wish to research their lines to find their living descendants.

Tracing a family line forward uses the same sources of information as conventional genealogy, except that what you are looking for is a record for a relative who may still be living.

You will need to connect life events and use other available resources to move toward the present day. Working forward through successive generations using the information found on each record will eventually lead you to a living person in your extended family.

We receive a number of queries relating to adoptions and adoption records – these are regarded differently by the GRO to the regular birth indexes and, as such, are not available online for public searching.

Read more on the GRO website’s adoption section.

Another source of difficulty in tracing living relatives can come from name changes. Officially registered deed polls in England & Wales may be found by searching online at London Gazette. These tend to be indexed in natural name order (forename then surname) under both the new and the old names.

You can also try The National Archive’s website for court-registered changes of name by deed poll. However, only 5% to 10% of name changes are thought to be among these records.

Good luck connecting your past to the present!

The findmypast team

P.S. If you have any questions or need any help, get in touch with our friendly helpdesk team. Call them on 020 7549 0990 (international : +44 20 7549 0990) or email them: info@findmypast.com