Findmypast Blog

The Findmypast Community

It’s official: these English surnames have the deepest local and historical roots

Is your surname one of the oldest in Kent? Or among the rarest in Yorkshire? It’s time to find out.

The unsung roles of women during the Second World War

During the Second World War, women played a vital role. They kept factories running, fields harvested, cities protected, and families afloat.

Two men and a newspaper

Your ancestors made headlines: Community stories brought to life through our newspaper collection

Findmypast's newspaper collection reveals your family tree's colourful stories in black and white. Here are some of the most exciting discoveries made by you.

Family in Sussex garden with dog

Discover who lived in your house before you with address search

Exploring Findmypast's censuses and other property records can reveal who lived in your house back in 1921 and beyond.

What's New?

Delve into your family's experiences with new records

Explore new military memorials spanning hundreds of years

Explore more Manchester records than ever

The 1926 Irish Census has arrived

Getting Started

Children in WW2 celebrating Christmas

The six best Christmas presents that let history lovers delve deeper into the past

Four simple steps to starting your family history journey

How to research your great-grandparents: the forgotten generation

How to use the free Findmypast app for on-the-go family history

Family Tree

How to use the free Findmypast app for on-the-go family history

A shocked couple

Are you related to your partner? Find out with this brand-new feature

king charles iii family tree

Who's who on King Charles III's family tree?

findmypast-military-hints

Discover your ancestor's military records with our handy family tree hints

Family Records

Engraving of 19th century Dublin, Ireland.

Your county-by-county guide to Ireland's genealogy records

Did your ancestors experience the Great Irish Famine?

1939 Register help

10 tips for searching the 1939 Register like a pro

Trace Scottish ancestry

The family records you need to trace Scottish roots

Help Hub

Royal Naval Division at HMS Crystal Palace WW1

Seven must-read books to discover the Royal Navy in the First World War

Engraving of 19th century Dublin, Ireland.

Your county-by-county guide to Ireland's genealogy records

How to trace ancestors that emigrated

How to find World War 2 ancestors that served on the Home Front

Discoveries

Photos of Zoe Ball, Amy Dowden, Toby Jones, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dame Harriet Walter, with old documents in the background

Who Do You Think You Are? Series 23: what we know so far

Black and white photo of a lake, with an old map of Merthyr Tyfil fading into the sky

A tale of two towns – a local history of the Great Irish Famine

Mug shots of four men and handwritten text from crime records.

Who were the real Peaky Blinders?

The Battle of Jutland: uncovering the stories of our Royal Navy ancestors

History Hub

Queen Elizabeth II during her official birthday parade

Why the King has two birthdays: The history of Trooping the Colour explained

The Dardanelles Campaign: a dangerous Royal Navy gamble, as told through newspapers

Royal Naval Division at HMS Crystal Palace WW1

Seven must-read books to discover the Royal Navy in the First World War

Black and white photo showing a man seated at a desk in uniform, handing a man standing some papers.

How Black Friday 1921 led to the census being postponed for the first time in history

The Findmypast Community

Black and white photo of women on a motorcycle, with a phone screen inset showing the podcast artwork for A Family History Of... and some wired headphones.

The best history podcasts to fuel your inner scholar, storyteller, and detective

It’s official: these English surnames have the deepest local and historical roots

Historical photo of three women and a baby

Your discoveries: How one family history discovery can change everything

This is what it was like to be in London on VE Day in 1945