Family Trees

Sep 02, 2025

Family trees are a great way to trace or look into your family’s lineage. With a family tree, you can see who your relatives and ancestors are, and you can even discover where some of your features or traits came from.

Family Tree Definition & Meaning

A family tree is a type of diagram that shows the relationships between people within several generations.

This means a family tree is used to showcase the ancestry and connections between relatives.

What Is a Family Tree?

A family tree, also known as a pedigree chart or a genealogy, is a record used to trace and record the lineage of a person. Families trees are used in many situations such as the search for the history of a person’s roots or discovering any medical issues within the bloodline. Family trees are commonly depicted as fun drawings hung at home. The diagram is depicted as starting from one person, to their parents, to the grandparents, and so on which appears like a branch-like pattern hence the name.

10 Types of Family Tree

3 Generation Family Tree

Three’s a crowd and so is three sets of generations. A 3 generation family tree lets you create a diagram showcasing three generations of your family. This is typically used to show the grandparents, parents, and children’s generation.

Family Tree Layout

A family layout lets you create an aesthetically pleasing family tree design where you can place your family members in order. These are the ones usually put on display in the homes of families. If you want to make your own family tree layout, then take a look at our options.

Family Genogram Family Tree

A family genogram lets you make a diagram that shows the relationships you have between relatives. This type of family tree is useful for medical programs. It’ll help professionals determine family history in conditions physical or even mental.

4 Generation Family Tree

A 4-generation genogram is useful for exploring hereditary conditions that run through the family for a long time. These are often made used by medical professionals to test and confirm the results they get regarding a patient’s medical history. The 4 generation genogram options let you store more detail and information for data review.

3 Generations Genogram Family Tree

3 generations genograms like most genograms are ideal for looking at the medical conditions of a family. It is generally used to confirm the biological relationships between family members usually. That is why it is common to see these types of genograms in clinics and hospitals.

Photo Family Tree

A photo family tree lets you make a family tree where you can add photos of your members. From little Timmy to Grandma May, you can add their best photos to this type of template. This is the kind of family tree best put on display in a framed picture.

Family Tree Outline

When you have a big family, it can be challenging to account for everyone. Making use of a family tree outline can help you figure out who is who and ensure no one is left out. You can trace and make a rough draft of your family tree using this template and it will be convenient.

Large Family Tree

If you have a large family, it is helpful to include all of them in the family tree. Check out our large family tree options right here. This will let you include everyone whether it is your grandparents, cousins, aunt, uncles, etc.

Kid Friendly Family Tree

Does your kid need to make a family tree for school? Then Using our kid-friendly family tree option, will be a breeze task. All your kid needs to do is add the names and relations to the page.

Family Reunion Tree

A family reunion tree is used specifically to put on display during family reunion parties. A family reunion tree for kids tree has more space to add extended family members. Making use of this will surely get everyone thrilled to see and read through it.

Family Tree Uses, Purpose, Importance

Family trees have various uses besides being a pretty picture of a large family. It helps establish family relationships for those who look at the family tree chart and lets everyone know who is related to who. Here are other min uses for the family tree as listed below.

To Give Historical Context

Knowing one’s history is important. This is one of the reasons why a family tree is important. It helps a person realize their own history from a familial aspect.

To Understand Medical History

Family tree’s enable someone to determine their own health. They can analyze who else in the family shares a common condition. It can help one predict their own health and prevent sickness like diabetes or hypertension.

To Understand Mental Health History

Understanding one’s mental health is a key to a satisfying life. One way to do it is to trace any hereditary mental health conditions within the family. A family tree diagram is a great way to start.

To Trace Lineage

It’s fun to see how far your family goes. One us of the family tree is to trace one’s genetic lineage. It is a pleasant surprise to realize one’ ancestor came from the other side of the planet.

To Find Biological Relatives

A family tree is a great way to keep track of biological relatives. This is helpful for someone to understand their own biology. this is especially true if one is raised in another environment.

What’s in a Family Tree? Parts?

Names

The names of each family member should be present in the family tree so that readers will get to know which person is a part of the family. Their full names must be written including any suffixes to different family members who share the same names.

Birth & Death Dates

Adding the dates, preferably the years, to the family tree can help people figure out how long each member was around. It must be placed underneath the names of the family members.

Marriage Dates

For those who are a part of the family tree by marriage, it is recommended you add the date or year of their marriage as well. This can help readers figure out at what point they became a part of the genealogy.

Pictures

For official family charts, it is helpful to add photos of the family. This can help people have a visual of each family member and recognize who is who.

Relationships

Adding details of each member’s relationships with each other is extremely helpful for those who wish to navigate an extensive family tree. It is also helpful to add details on whether a member is biological, a married partner, or adopted into the family.

How to Design a Family Tree

1. Choose a Family Tree Size.

2. Decide the purpose of the family tree.

3. Select the Famly Tree Template.

4. Choose the layout and the visual aesthetic.

5. Add the images, names, and other details.

6. Finalize your content and download it.

Family Tree vs. Genealogy

A family tree refers to a diagram that shows and traces the descendants of one person whether it be through marriages, biology, or adoption.

Genealogy is often used as an interchangeable word with the family tree but it also refers to the study of family trees by tracing the DNA history and ethnicity.

What’s the Difference Between a Family Tree, Genogram, & Generation

A family tree is a diagram that traces the descendants and relatives of one person. Its design has a branch-out pattern from one family member to another which explains why it is called a tree.

A genogram is a chart that is used to display a person’s family relationships. It is commonly used in medical work and hospital reports to trace the medical history or even psychological issues within a family.

A generation refers to a collective of people who are born at the same time/era. In familial terms, it refers to a set/order of family members who are born around the same time.

Family Tree Sizes

Family tree sizes can be customizable since it is used for many things from social gatherings, to school projects, or even medical reports. The commonly used sizes for a family tree include 22 inches by 44 inches, 11 inches by 14 inches, and 60 inches by 78 inches.

Family Tree Ideas & Examples

There are various to depict a family tree. You might want to make a magazine article for a family with a long line of fame, a fictional family in a book, or trace the legacy of a family who started a company. Check out some family tree ideas for your reference.

• Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• School Project Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Kids Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Portfolio Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Clipart Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Wall Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Cousins Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Aesthetic Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Unique Family Tree Ideas and Examples
• Crafts Family Tree Ideas and Examples

FAQs