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What is a Genealogist?

By Jill Gonzalez
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 15,363
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A genealogist is a person who studies and researches families. These individuals trace family lineages and history as far back in time as they are able to go, or as far as a client wants them to. Often, people request the services of these professionals because they want to learn about their family history and pedigree. In some situations, they may need to find out about their family history for medical or religious purposes. In others, it is simply a desire to learn more about where their ancestors came from.

In some cases, a genealogist may specialize in researching a particular group of people, such as Scottish clans or people who have a particular surname. In other instances, genealogists may simply participate in this type of activity as a hobby, choosing to focus on conducting genealogy searches for themselves and friends. The reality is that anyone can participate in genealogical research. It is not a profession that demands that practitioners have specific educational requirements or training in order to become involved.

The process of conducting this type of research is actually quite complex, which is why many people choose to hire a professional genealogist rather than conducting all of the tedious research on their own. During their research, professionals often utilize historical records to try to piece together a person's family lineage. The further back in time one goes in an effort to obtain this information, the more difficult it becomes. Most historical documentation cannot be found through a quick search online.

An individual might choose to contact a professional genealogist if it becomes obvious that conducting an independent search is going to be too difficult. Professionals within this field often have an easier time accessing obscure sets of records, and may be better able to decipher text that was written in a foreign language or that has become faded with time and wear. Hiring a professional genealogist can be quite expensive, however, so it is always wise to research different agencies before choosing one to conduct such a search.

Genealogists can also be useful for conducting family research when there is not a lot of initial information to go on. Professionals within this field have often received training regarding how to find historical documents that many people would never realize existed. Depending on the number of years of experience that they have, they might also be better able to gain access to archives that would not be accessible to the general public.

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Discussion Comments
By discographer — On Sep 02, 2011

@burcinc-- Hey there, many genealogists actually start off in this field as a hobby. I have done the same. I did my bachelors in History and took up some research related jobs after college but nothing directly relating to family history and genealogy in anyway.

I became interested in it when I was researching my own family history and discovered an online study group for genealogy. I took genealogy and research courses online and started doing more research mainly for my family and sometimes friends' families. I did not make any money off of my work for a long time.

I think this profession is still very obscure and there is no clear and defined path to becoming a genealogist. I would recommend looking up genealogy online study groups as a start. It also helps to have research experience and research skills.

By burcinc — On Sep 02, 2011

How does one go about becoming a genealogist/family historian? What kind of educational background is required? Are there any certificate programs for genealogists?

By bear78 — On Sep 01, 2011

I really want to know more about my family genealogy. I have some information on where my ancestors came from. My uncle was actually very interested in this and he did some research on it about ten years ago. He went as far back as my great-great grandfather who appears to have migrated to Europe from Russia but we don't think that he was Russian in origin.

The official documents only go so far back and if we want to pursue this any further, we will have too inquire with the Russian government and look at Russian documents which is just not possible since none of us speak Russian.

That's why I think we should hire a genealogist. We don't have to know where our roots are from, but I'm really curious. I also want to pass on this information to my kids. I think it's really important for us to know who we are and what our family history is.

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