Search Help
Getting started
You must enter at least two characters in Surname, Given Name, or split across both (for example, Po in Surname, or m plus fr). Year and Location alone are not enough to start a search.
Surname and Given Name
Each name field has a menu that controls how your text is matched:
- Contains — Finds names that match your word as a whole name (or word). It works best with three or more letters. Short two-letter names such as Po, Vu, or Eu usually will not match with Contains—use Exact or Starts with instead.
- Starts with — Finds names that begin with what you typed. For example, Ca finds Carter, Campbell, and similar surnames, including short names like Ca if they exist.
- Exact — Finds only names that match your text exactly. Use this for short surnames such as Po or Vu.
You can fill in one name field, both, or leave one blank. Each field has its own menu, so Surname can use Exact while Given Name uses Starts with.
Birth Year and Death Year
Enter a four-digit year (for example, 1850), then choose how to compare it:
- Exact — That year only
- After — That year or later
- Before — That year or earlier
- +/- 1, +/- 5, or +/- 10 — Within 1, 5, or 10 years of the year you entered
Year fields are optional. Leave them blank if you do not want to filter by date.
Location
Location is optional. If you use it, start typing a place name (country, state, county, city, and so on). After two characters, suggestions appear—use the arrow keys and Enter, or click, to choose one. You must pick a suggestion (or clear the field) before searching. That ensures the filter matches the exact place you meant, even when several places share the same name.
Clear
Clears the form and returns you to a blank search.
