Genes Reunited:
Connecting people with their past
Introduction
Launched in May 2003, Genes Reunited has in just over two years become the UK's largest family tree, genealogy and ancestry site, with over 4 million members worldwide. Internet technology has created millions of 'cyber detectives' who are harnessing the web's incredible resources and unlocking the secrets in their family tree. It is free to join and search, with a fee of £9.95 per year to make contact with other members.
The figures
- 4 million members growing by around 35,000 registrations a week
- 50 million names listed worldwide – one new name is added every second of every day
- 1 million unique users per month
- 37.1 million page views per month
- 99% are opted into emails
- 60% are also registered on Friends Reunited
A recent survey from Genes Reunited found that more than a third of Britain's population is interested in learning more about their family tree. Tracing family roots is already the second most popular hobby in the United States, according to the National Genealogical Society*¹ and visits to lifestyle family sites in the UK have increased by 44% in the past year. According to internet research specialists Nielsen//NetRatings much of this growth has come from the increasing popularity of Genes Reunited.*²
Fun Facts
- There are 174 William Shakespeares and 73 Charles Dickens listed
- Genes Reunited has become so popular, a relation is added to the site every second
- There are 444 entries for people born in 1066
- The most common surname is Smith, with 360,687 listed
- There are 22 Laurels and 18,622 Hardys
- There are 43 Winston Churchills, 17 Margaret Thatchers and 18 Neville Chamberlains
*¹ - Source Fox News 8th December 2004
*² - Nielsen//NetRatings April 2005
FAQ's
What is Genes Reunited?
Genes Reunited is the sister website of Friends Reunited and works by connecting members with their extended family through the sharing of information. It enables users to graphically build their own family tree, explore their family history and potentially connect with living relatives.
How does it work and what does it cost?
Members first have to register, which is free of charge, by entering their personal email address and password. This then allows them to:
- Build their family tree
- Search for a family relation
- Visit their surname specific message boards
- Get started in genealogy with the sites ‘how to guide’
Similarly to Friends Reunited, members can then choose to upgrade to full membership for the current annual fee of £9.95. This then allows them to:
- Contact other members and potential relations
- View other members' trees with their permission (option available on member homepage)
- Post photos on their family tree.
- Post messages on all message boards
How to build a family tree
- Click on 'add a relation' and start by entering immediate family (parents, siblings, children)
- Add or edit relations as you discover more
(If the member has already started a tree elsewhere they can transfer the information to the site using GEDCOM, a specialist feature which allows people to recognize and share information across different family trees)
How to search for potential relations
- Click on 'search' next to a relative's name on your tree. This will search the database for that particular relative to see if any other member has already added the same individual
- Search any page using the simple search box
- Use 'my tree matches' to browse matches with each surname in your tree, read message postings related to your surname and contact other members to find out more .
- For more information on how to get started with genealogy see Genes Reunited beginners guide on the site.
For more information on how to get started with genealogy see Genes Reunited beginners guide on the site.
Success Stories
These are just a small sample of the many success stories we hear from our members on a daily basis. If you would like further information on these or any others, please contact Carolynne or Elizabeth on 01883 717468 or email press@friendsreunited.co.uk
Shelia Anderson Wray
Thousands of people who have already searched their family tree, have found a celebrity connection, blue blood, or even a direct line to royalty in their family line. Sheila Anderson Wray has found all three in hers. She has discovered her family's related to a famous actor, found out their line goes back to the man who signed Mary Queen of Scot's death warrant, and further back still that one of her husband's ancestors bore a former Prince of Wales two children.
Alan Hardisty
Alan Hardisty, a 36 year old IT consultant from Kent, has traced over 17,000 relatives through Genes Reunited and discovered that Alan Titchmarsh, the TV Gardner, is his cousin, five times removed. After only a year of research through Genes Reunited, Alan has managed to trace his family ancestry back to a William Hardisty in 1577 and aims to find relatives mentioned in the Domesday Book 500 years earlier.
Jason Evenden
Jason lost touch with his partner, Janette, 12 years ago when their daughter, Lauren, was eight months old. He had been trying to trace them ever since and had no luck until he put their details onto Genes Reunited in November 2004. Now, not only has Jason been reunited with his daughter, but he and Janette are engaged to be married on August 20th this year.
Roy Murphy
Within hours of logging onto leading ancestry site Genes Reunited, Roy Murphy, a 28 year old builder from Wales, found his long-lost dad, Alan, and learnt of his dad's colourful past including a marriage to Miss World 1984, a casino empire, world record attempts and a death defying trip across the South Atlantic. Reliving his childhood dream, Alan is currently teaching Kung Foo at a Buddhist temple in Katmandu, Nepal. Roy also discovered a half brother and half sister by Alan's current (and third) wife, traced aunts, uncles and cousins he knew nothing about and found a family link to the Wedgewood Pottery company.
Sandie Kerr
Within 20 minutes of putting details into Genes Reunited in June 2004, Sandie was exchanging emails with her son, Paul, who she had given up for adoption 22 years ago. He was living just six miles away. Sandie placed Paul into care after Paul’s father declared he was gay and left Sandie for a transsexual. When Paul’s foster family formally adopted him, Sandie lost contact with her son, but never forgot him. Sandie and Paul met within a week of finding each other last year and now see each other regularly.
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