How to Search and Browse People in Your Family Tree
Master the People Directory to quickly find any ancestor by name, filter by dates, and explore your tree with powerful search and sorting tools.
The People Directory overview
The People Directory is your searchable index of every individual in your GEDCOM file. Whether you have 100 or 100,000 people in your tree, you can instantly find anyone by name, browse by surname, or sort by dates.
Access it via Directory > People after uploading your GEDCOM file.
Using fuzzy search
The search box supports fuzzy matching, which means you don't need exact spelling:
- Partial names: Type "Wil" to find William, Wilhelm, Wilma, etc.
- Surname search: Type just the surname to see all family members
- Given name search: Type first names to find people across different surnames
- Soundex awareness: Similar-sounding names are matched automatically
The search updates instantly as you type, making it easy to explore variations.
Surname grouping
Enable surname grouping to organise individuals by family name. This is especially useful for:
- Reviewing one family line at a time
- Checking spelling variations (Smith vs Smyth vs Smythe)
- Finding maiden names when women appear under both married and birth surnames
- Identifying common surnames that might indicate undiscovered connections
Sorting and filtering
Click column headers to sort by:
- Name: Alphabetical by surname, then given name
- Birth date: Chronological from earliest to most recent
- Death date: Useful for finding ancestors who died in specific periods
- Birth place: Group people by location
Combine sorting with search to narrow down results - for example, search "London" and sort by birth date to see all London births chronologically.
Person detail cards
Click any individual to open their detail card showing:
- Vital records: Birth, marriage, death dates and places
- Family links: Parents, spouses, and children
- Relationship to home person: If you've set a home person, you'll see how they're related to you
- Research suggestions: Quick links to potential record searches
This gives you a snapshot without leaving the directory view.
Tips for large trees
For trees with thousands of people:
- Use specific searches: Instead of browsing, search for the exact name
- Enable virtual scrolling: The directory automatically optimises rendering for large lists
- Set a home person: This enables relationship labels, making it easier to understand who's who
- Export to CSV: For analysis in spreadsheets, many tools offer CSV export