Have you ever wondered how you actually got your last name? And were your ancestors poor or rich? Unknown or famous? Have they always lived in the same area or do you have secret exotic roots? You will come across interesting things with a DNA test or family tree research.
It's super exciting to dig into your family history as a kind of detective. Very surprising stories can come out of it. With a dive into history you might discover that you have famous or infamous figures as an ancestor.
Are you curious and do you like to figure things out? Then genealogy is a very fun and addictive hobby. Moreover, with the advent of the internet, it has become a lot easier to search for your ancestors. The data is there for the taking, if you know how to get started.
You can start researching the origin of your last name. It is also possible that there are rumors in the family about your origin. In any case, think about what you want to know in advance. In any case, that will give direction to your research.
Do you know what you want to investigate? Then it's time to visit relatives and ask them about stories from the past. Maybe they have old marriage records, photos and letters. These are indispensable for a dive into the public archives. You need a name of someone who was born more than 100 years ago, married more than 75 years ago or died more than 50 years ago.
The website Wiewaswie.nl, Center for Family History, has a huge range of historical documents. If you enter here the name that you have found in your family, there is a good chance that you will find more information about your ancestors through this site. That way you are one step further. If you want to continue searching, experienced family tree researchers can help you further. Googling is also an option. Many family trees have already been selected and published on the internet.
Curious about your roots but not in the mood for endless detective work? Then you can do a DNA test for ethnic origin. You can discover a lot about your ancestors through DNA research. If you're a white European, then you inherited at least one to four percent of your genes from Neanderthals. With such a test you can discover where your distant ancestors came from, but also the migration routes that your ancestors took and with which population group on earth your DNA most resembles. Nice to know anyway!
