{"id":92961,"date":"2023-07-12T09:13:52","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T13:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=92961"},"modified":"2023-07-12T09:14:20","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T13:14:20","slug":"how-to-complete-a-famous-ancestors-family-search-a-quick-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/how-to-complete-a-famous-ancestors-family-search-a-quick-guide.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Complete a Famous Ancestors Family Search: A Quick Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you related to a celebrity? Is there a president in your family lineage?<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: President Abraham Lincoln, 8 November 1863. Credit: Alexander Gardner; Mead Art Museum; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More people than you might think have famous ancestors. For example, did you know that more than 60% of Americans are descended from royalty?<\/p>\n

Statistics like these make sense when you consider that at least 650 of the original American colonists had traceable royal ancestry, with 387 leaving descendants.<\/p>\n

Conducting a famous ancestors\u2019 family search is a fun way to discover whether any illustrious family members are in your ancestry. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about uncovering your famous family tree.<\/p>\n

How to Find Your Famous Ancestors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Uncovering a famous face in genealogy rarely involves looking up a surname and making a direct connection. The chances are you would already know of a celebrity ancestor if this was true. But millions of Americans are related through distant relatives.<\/p>\n

So, what are some of the resources you can use to find your ancestors?<\/p>\n

Old Newspapers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Census records can only tell you so much about your family tree. See them as a starting point because they offer a mere snapshot into history.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, old newspapers follow the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the people at that time. If you genuinely want to know the stories of famous ancestors from their earliest days, newspapers are the ideal source.<\/p>\n

GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a> are the most extensive exclusive archives of historical newspapers in the country, covering more than three centuries of U.S. history. Use these newspapers to dig up stories, photographs, and more about your ancestors.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Muhammad Ali, 1967. Credit: World Journal Tribune photo by Ira Rosenberg; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FamilySearch Relative Finder<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another way to conduct a famous ancestors\u2019 family search is to use RelativeFinder.org<\/a>. It\u2019s a unique software program that helps users find out if they\u2019re related to anyone famous, including connections to U.S. presidents and European royalty.<\/p>\n

You can also use this platform to see how members of a particular group are related. For example, you can choose your ancestors and figure out who\u2019s related through cousins.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that this search option is not without its limits. One caveat to this program is that your family tree must be accurate. The Relative Finder is incapable of filling in any gaps. Your search will be limited if you\u2019re unsure of an ancestor or have little information about them. In these cases, you\u2019ll need to take any results with a grain of salt.<\/p>\n

Shared Names<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shared surnames are the most common reason people think they may be related to a celebrity or historical figure. While it\u2019s possible, names are often shared among thousands of people who aren\u2019t related.<\/p>\n

Names alone don\u2019t necessarily point to a connection, especially in the arts, as many people change their names once they reach prominence.<\/p>\n

For example, Elton John\u2019s birthname isn\u2019t Elton John. The Rocket Man\u2019s real name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Likewise, Bob Dylan\u2019s original family name was Zimmerman.<\/p>\n

Although names are helpful, they\u2019re not enough to go on alone.<\/p>\n

Shared Locations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019re not related by blood to a celebrity, but maybe one of your ancestors took a future superstar to the prom. Hometown heroes always generate interest, so local historical and genealogical societies thoroughly research these people\u2019s lineage.<\/p>\n

One example is actress and singer Rosemary Clooney. In 1997, she returned to Maysville, Kentucky, to marry Dante DiPaolo. The town had already thoroughly studied Rosemary\u2019s family and its ties to Maysville.<\/p>\n

If your family has been in the same place for generations, beginning your search with your hometown heroes is an excellent starting point. Your local genealogical society may have already created a full celebrity family tree for each hometown hero.<\/p>\n

Family Legends<\/strong><\/p>\n

How much should you wager on a family legend?<\/p>\n

Millions of Americans are convinced they are direct descendants of George Washington. Yet this is simply not true because Washington never had any children of his own. All of Washington\u2019s children were from his wife\u2019s first marriage.<\/p>\n

It demonstrates the minefield that relying on family legends can create. Generally, it\u2019s best to discount any family legends while searching for celebrities in your family tree unless you have concrete evidence to back it up.<\/p>\n

Celebrity Family Trees<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may amaze you to learn that many stars are directly or distantly related, linking some of the most significant figures of the present to those of the past.<\/p>\n

Here are a few surprising celebrities who are related to each other.<\/p>\n

Madonna<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Madonna, Rebel Heart Tour 2015, Stockholm. Credit: chrisweger; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Madonna has a family tree filled with famous faces through marriage and blood. One of the most exciting parts of the musical icon\u2019s family tree is that she is the 14th<\/sup> cousin, twice removed, of Kate Middleton, the heir to the British throne.<\/p>\n

She is also distantly related to fellow singer Celine Dion and is more closely related to Sting, as he is the godfather to her son, Rocco.<\/p>\n

Queen Elizabeth II<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Queen Elizabeth II greeting NASA employees at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, May 2007. Credit: NASA\/Bill Ingalls; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II, Britain\u2019s longest-reigning monarch, also has an intriguing family tree. While a famous ancestors\u2019 family search will bring up the usual array of European monarchs, she is also related to several contemporary celebrities.<\/p>\n

For example, did you know that Johnny Depp is her 20th<\/sup> cousin, or that Hillary Duff is her 18th<\/sup> cousin? Through this connection, Duff is also related to Scottish King Robert the Bruce as her 21st<\/sup> great-grandfather.<\/p>\n

Tom Hanks<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Tom Hanks at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Credit: John Baul; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tom Hanks is one of America\u2019s most beloved actors. His narration of an Abraham Lincoln biography was considered a triumph \u2013 but became even more poignant after a famous ancestors\u2019 family search.<\/p>\n

Turns out, Tom Hanks is a direct descendant of the Great Emancipator through his mother\u2019s side. Through extensive research, it was discovered that Hanks and Lincoln are third cousins.<\/p>\n

Uncover Famous Relatives with GenealogyBank<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saying \u201cI\u2019m related to a celebrity\u201d is the dream of so many amateur family researchers. Many people will find a famous face if they go back far enough, but uncovering those direct connections is always a great triumph for any genealogy expert.<\/p>\n

With GenealogyBank, we help you make connections between your ancestors and the famous faces of history. Whether you\u2019re related by blood or association, our newspaper archives<\/a> can help you discover those connections.<\/p>\n

Step back into history by signing up for GenealogyBank<\/a> today to learn more about your family story.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> a portrait of the American writer Mark Twain taken by A. F. Bradley in New York, 1907. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A famous ancestors family search is a fun way to discover whether any illustrious family members are in your ancestry. Begin your search with GenealogyBank!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":92977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12713],"tags":[58489,2719],"class_list":["post-92961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-research-tips","tag-famous-ancestors-family-search","tag-genealogy-search-tips"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/photo-0712-2023-featured-graphic-mark-twain.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92961"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92987,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92961\/revisions\/92987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}