Enter GAIA, the new Genealogy AI Agent from MyHeritage. GAIA brings the power of agentic AI to family history research, marking an important step forward for genealogy. While technology has long helped genealogists find and access information, GAIA takes this a step further by actively conducting multi-step research in collaboration with you.

Simply tell GAIA, in your own words, what you’re trying to find. It will then search historical records on MyHeritage plus public repositories on the web, draw on information from your family tree, evaluate evidence, provide results, and suggest promising next steps. You guide the research, review the findings, and can easily add the details you choose to your family tree in just a few clicks.

GAIA, MyHeritage’s Genealogy AI Agent (click to zoom)

GAIA is now available in English on the MyHeritage website, on desktop and mobile browsers. Support for additional languages will be added soon.

Try GAIA now

GAIA: AI research designed for genealogy

GAIA is powered by agentic AI, meaning that it can plan and carry out multiple connected tasks to achieve a goal. Unlike general-purpose AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, GAIA is built specifically for genealogy. It approaches research like a professional genealogist, using established research methods to evaluate evidence, cross-check information, and assess possible connections. For example, it treats information from other users’ family trees as less reliable clues to investigate rather than as established facts. GAIA presents the supporting evidence, distinguishes between well-supported findings and uncertain possibilities, and indicates its confidence in the results.

Another major advantage is GAIA’s integration with your MyHeritage family tree. It uses information you’ve already entered to guide its research, then lets you compare its findings with your family tree and select which details to add. Throughout the research, GAIA asks questions, helps resolve conflicting information, and suggests next steps, while leaving you in control of the research and any changes to your family tree.

What can GAIA help you discover?

GAIA can assist with a wide range of family history questions, whether you’re just beginning your research or have years of experience.

You can use GAIA to:

• Make progress on challenging research questions: Investigate an elusive ancestor or a longstanding family mystery using sources and research approaches you may not have considered.
• Find historical records: Search for birth, marriage, death, census, immigration, and other records that may contain information about your relatives.
• Analyze conflicting information: Compare records with different dates, names, or family relationships and examine the evidence for each possibility.
• Explore an ancestor’s movements: Trace possible connections between records from different locations and investigate migration patterns and surname variations.
• Confirm existing research: Find supporting evidence for information you’ve already discovered and identify gaps that still need attention.
• Identify new research directions: Locate archives, repositories, and other resources that may hold additional information, even when the records themselves aren’t available online.

GAIA doesn’t always find a definitive answer, and a productive research session doesn’t necessarily result in a new relative or previously unknown fact. Confirming a family connection, ruling out an incorrect match, or discovering a promising place to search can be equally valuable.

How to use GAIA

To start a research session with GAIA, log in to MyHeritage, visit myheritage.com/research, and select the “Research Agent” tab. Alternatively, write an initial question below “TRY OUR RESEARCH AGENT.”

Accessing GAIA from the Research page on MyHeritage (click to zoom)

The first time you use GAIA, you’ll be asked to review and accept its terms of use.

Enter your research question in everyday language. You don’t need to know which historical record collections to search or how to formulate a complex search query.

GAIA can draw on details already recorded in your MyHeritage family tree, so there’s no need to enter them again. Include any additional information you know, such as names, approximate dates, locations, or family relationships, to help guide the research.

Example research question entered into GAIA (click to zoom)

GAIA analyzes your request and determines how to approach the research. It may ask questions to clarify what you’re looking for, or, if your request is clear, jump right in and get to work.

GAIA at work investigating a research question (click to zoom)

GAIA searches MyHeritage’s full range of historical records, as well as relevant public repositories on the web. Along the way, it evaluates potential matches, compares names and dates, examines relationships, and considers which sources may help answer your question.

Follow its progress in the conversation as it carries out searches and examines the information it finds.

Reviewing GAIA’s findings

As GAIA progresses through its research, it presents its findings in clear, conversational language, together with the sources that support them.

Each relevant source is identified by type, so you can distinguish between historical records, information from other family trees, and external websites. GAIA also assesses its confidence in the findings and explains their relevance to your research.

Sources presented within GAIA’s response (click to zoom)

Click on each source to examine the findings yourself. A pop-up window appears with the information provided in the record and access to the scanned image, if available.

Reviewing sources that GAIA found (click to zoom)

Clicking “Review and save to your tree” will take you to the full record page. You can scroll through the various sources GAIA found using the arrows at the bottom.

GAIA’s findings can include several different kinds of sources:

• Direct mentions: Sources that specifically mention a person you’re researching.
• Leads: Archives, repositories, or other places where additional information may be available. For example, GAIA might identify an archive that holds relevant documents but requires a separate search or a direct request to obtain them, which GAIA cannot automate for you.
• Background information: Historical context that can help explain an ancestor’s circumstances, such as migration patterns, local history, surname information, or the conditions in a particular place and period.

Together, these sources can help you understand what the available evidence suggests and where further investigation may be worthwhile.

Reviewing your research in the Overview panel

GAIA keeps track of the research as it progresses in the Overview panel on the right side of the screen, so you don’t have to scroll through an entire conversation to reconstruct what you’ve learned.

GAIA’s Overview panel

The Overview panel organizes the information into several useful sections:

Research question: A summary of the question you’re exploring in this session.

Research summary: An automatically updated summary of the research and its key findings. You can also generate a more comprehensive research report.

People: A list of individuals identified during the research, along with the information and relationships associated with them. Click on a person to see all the details about this person that were uncovered during the research as well as the sources and relatives associated with him or her.

GAIA Overview panel: People

Relevant sources: The records and other sources that GAIA considers relevant to the research, along with confidence assessments and explanations of how they support the findings. The list of sources can be filtered according to source type and sorted according to various criteria, such as how old the source is and GAIA’s level of confidence in its relevance.

GAIA Overview panel: Relevant sources (click to zoom)

This organized view makes it easier to review what GAIA has discovered, examine the evidence, and identify questions that remain unanswered.

Continuing the conversation

Genealogical research rarely follows a straight line. A promising record may raise new questions, and an unexpected detail may change the direction of the research.

GAIA is designed to work through these developments with you. It may suggest additional searches, ask you to confirm uncertain information, or recommend pursuing a newly identified relative or source.

GAIA suggests next steps (click to zoom)

You can click on one of the provided suggestions to prompt GAIA to take that step. In the example below, the second option was selected (look for a WWI draft card), and GAIA automatically used it as the next question:

GAIA takes the next research step (click to zoom)

You can also type freely: provide additional details, correct an assumption, explain why a particular record doesn’t match, or ask GAIA to explore a different possibility. It uses your feedback to adjust the research.

Your conversations are saved, so you can return to an earlier research session and pick up where you left off. You can also start a new conversation for a different research question by clicking “New research” on the left-hand panel.

Starting a new research session with GAIA. Former conversations are listed too and can be resumed (click to zoom)

Adding your findings to your family tree

One of GAIA’s most useful capabilities is its integration with your MyHeritage family tree.

When you research someone already in your family tree, GAIA can use the information you’ve entered about that person and close relatives to inform its research. As it identifies new information, it can help you compare those findings with what’s already recorded.

Click “Compare with your tree” (when offered) to review the differences. GAIA organizes the findings by person and identifies information that is new, improves an existing detail, or conflicts with something already recorded in your family tree.

You can examine the supporting sources and choose exactly which findings to save. Click “Save to your tree” to update your family tree with the information you’ve approved.

GAIA never automatically adds or changes information in your family tree without your explicit approval. It’s always up to you.

Selecting findings to save to the family tree (click to zoom)

If you don’t yet have a family tree on MyHeritage, GAIA can also help you create one using the people and relationships identified during your research. This gives you a way to preserve your findings, organize family relationships, and continue researching through MyHeritage.

What early users are saying about GAIA

GAIA has already been beta-tested by genealogists and family history enthusiasts, and their experiences demonstrate how it can help with a variety of research challenges.

Experienced genealogist James Tanner of Genealogy’s Star was impressed by the way GAIA guided his research: “As I began using GAIA, I was impressed by the questions it asked to advance the research. Its conclusions were consistent and well-grounded. GAIA provided details on children that were absent from my own files.”

Tina LaFreniere, founder of RelatedFaces.com, was similarly enthusiastic: “With its natural, conversational style, GAIA is an extraordinary new tool poised to become an indispensable research companion for genealogists.”

For Kathy, who had spent decades researching a particularly difficult ancestor with numerous name variations, GAIA demonstrated how much time it could save: “It’s taken me a couple of decades to find these records, and GAIA found them in just a few minutes.”

David Wilson particularly appreciated GAIA’s ability to handle challenging historical records: “I’ve been doing family history before, and GAIA has totally changed the game… It’s often found records I never would have thought to search for. I can’t imagine working without GAIA anymore.”

Tips for getting the most out of GAIA

For a productive research experience, here are useful recommendations:

• Start with a specific question. Rather than asking GAIA to research your entire family history, focus on one ancestor, relationship, event, or mystery at a time.
• Share what you already know. Names, approximate dates, locations, relatives, and alternative spellings can help narrow the search and distinguish between people with similar names.
• Keep each conversation focused. GAIA maintains a separate research summary, list of people, and collection of sources for each conversation. Starting a new conversation for a different question keeps your research organized and helps GAIA focus on the right details.
• Review the supporting evidence. GAIA is designed to evaluate sources carefully, but its findings should still be verified, especially when the evidence is incomplete or conflicting.
• Help guide the research. If you already have a particular record, know that a suggested match is incorrect, or want to explore another possibility, tell GAIA. Your input helps it refine the research and focus on the most promising leads.

Cost and availability

GAIA uses advanced AI technology to carry out multi-step research. The required processing cost (for MyHeritage) varies according to the complexity and depth of each research session, but is generally quite expensive.

All active MyHeritage subscribers receive a complimentary GAIA usage allowance, giving them an opportunity to experience the feature for free. The amount of research you can complete with this allowance varies depending on the complexity of your questions and the research.

You can check your remaining usage through the “GAIA usage” option in the left-hand panel.

Checking your remaining GAIA usage (click to zoom)

To continue researching after using the free allowance, MyHeritage offers two plans with extended GAIA access:

OmniAI includes all the benefits of the MyHeritage Omni plan, along with an extended GAIA usage allowance.

OmniAI+ provides an even larger allowance for people who want to use GAIA more extensively.

If you reach your usage limit, GAIA explains your available upgrade option so you can continue researching.

These plans make it possible to offer powerful AI research capabilities while accounting for the substantial computing resources required. MyHeritage plans to expand its AI offerings in the future, so that OmniAI and OmniAI+ subscribers will benefit from more ways to use their AI allowance and even greater value from their plans.

Privacy and responsible AI use

GAIA is designed to support careful, evidence-based genealogical research, with users retaining control over their findings and family trees.

Before using GAIA, you’re asked to consent to the processing of information by external AI systems used to provide the service, and are guaranteed that information you provide during your interactions with GAIA is never used to train AI models.

Although GAIA is designed to examine evidence carefully and indicate uncertainty, AI-generated responses can sometimes contain errors. Always review supporting sources and verify important findings before adding them to your family tree.

FAQs about GAIA

How is GAIA different from using other AI platforms for genealogy research?

GAIA is custom-built for genealogy, and possesses direct access to MyHeritage’s billions of historical records, specialized knowledge of genealogical research methods, and integration with your family tree. General-purpose AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude don’t have this, so they are not positioned well to answer many genealogical research questions.

Can I use GAIA if I don’t have a family tree on MyHeritage?

Yes. You can start researching with GAIA even if you haven’t created a family tree. If GAIA identifies enough connected relatives during your research, it can also help you create a MyHeritage family tree based on the information you’ve gathered.

What if I have more than one family tree on MyHeritage?

GAIA currently works with the default family tree on your default family site. We’re planning to introduce the ability to select which family tree GAIA uses for research.

Can GAIA find records that aren’t available on MyHeritage?

Yes. GAIA searches not only MyHeritage’s historical records and family trees, but also publicly available information on the web. However, GAIA cannot access external information that requires separate subscriptions for access. In such cases, GAIA may give you suggestions on where you can continue your research manually.

What’s next for GAIA?

We’re just getting started with agentic AI for genealogy. Based on feedback from users, we’re working on improvements that will give you greater control over your research, such as the ability to exclude other people’s family trees from searches. Support for additional languages is also planned.

Looking further ahead, MyHeritage is exploring how agentic AI could enhance other areas of family history, including DNA, photos, and matches. GAIA is the first step in this broader vision.

The beginning of a new era in family history research

We believe that AI is an ally, rather than an enemy, of genealogical research. GAIA marks an important step forward in MyHeritage’s ongoing efforts to make family history research more accessible, efficient, and rewarding. Bringing an AI research agent into the process makes it possible to tackle questions that may once have felt too complicated or time-consuming to pursue. The goal is to help you spend less time on the painstaking work of searching and comparing records, and more time exploring the discoveries and family stories that make genealogy so meaningful.

Whether you’re investigating a family mystery, looking for an elusive record, or searching for new directions in your research, GAIA offers a powerful way to pursue the answers you’re seeking. Give it a try. Your next discovery could be just a conversation away.

Try GAIA now

The post Introducing GAIA, MyHeritage’s Groundbreaking Genealogy AI Agent appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Explore the 24 new and updated historical record collections added this month

Collection	Description	Number of Records	Link to Search
Belgium Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Belgium.	1,600,000 newspaper pages added for a total of 2,964,033 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Croatia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Croatia.	18,505 newspaper pages added for a total of 516,047 newspaper pages	Search collection now
France Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from France.	84,008 newspaper pages added for a total of 5,045,382 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Germany.	7,732,224 newspaper pages added for a total of 39,886,505 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Germany, Berlin Civil Birth Index, 1874-1915	An index of civil birth registrations from Berlin, Germany, from the year 1874 onwards.	2,966,762 records	Search collection now
Germany, Berlin Civil Death Indexes, 1874-1994	An index of civil death registers from Berlin, Germany, from the year 1874 onwards.	8,576,256 records	Search collection now
Germany, Berlin Civil Marriage Index, 1874-1944	An index of civil marriage registers from Berlin, Germany, between the years 1874 and 1944.	5,569,536 records	Search collection now
German, Family Books	An index of names from privately published genealogical lineage books (Familienstammbuch), documenting families from Germany across multiple generations.	17,874,785 records	Search collection now
Germany, South Baden, Church Register Duplicate Births, 1810-1870	An index of church birth and baptism records from South Baden, Germany, between the years 1810 and 1870.	2,369,234 records	Search collection now
Germany, South Baden, Church Register Duplicate Deaths, 1810-1870	An index of church death and burial records from South Baden, Germany, between the years 1810 and 1870.	1,579,407 records	Search collection now
Germany, South Baden Church Register Duplicate Marriages, 1810-1870	An index of marriage records from church registers in the southern part of the Baden region, Germany, between the years 1810 and 1870.	883,883 records	Search collection now
Mexico Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Mexico.	3,456,633 newspaper pages added for a total of 6,179,796 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Mexico, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Mexico, extracted using MyHeritage's AI and OCR technology.	85,938,004 records	Search collection now
Poland Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from within the borders of modern Poland.	269,420 newspaper pages added for a total of 14,433,162 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Serbia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Serbia.	142,596 newspaper pages added for a total of 771,947 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Slovenia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Slovenia.	54,605 newspaper pages added for a total of 1,174,095 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Spain Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and gazettes from Spain.	21,285 newspaper pages added for a total of 23,874,062 newspaper pages	Search collection now
United Kingdom Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical local, regional and national British newspapers, periodicals and gazettes.	127,221 newspaper pages added for a total of 16,190,181 newspaper pages	Search collection now
United Kingdom & Commonwealth, World War I Prisoners of War, 1914-1918	An index of records of Britain and Commonwealth soldiers taken prisoner or reported missing during World War I (1914–1918).	1,301,873 records	Search collection now
District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1949	An index of death records from the District of Columbia, United States, between the years 1874 and 1949.	543,554 records	Search collection now
New York City Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1948-1956	An index of passenger and crew lists of vessels and airplanes departing from New York City, New York, United States, between the years 1948 and 1956.	5,551,717 records	Search collection now
Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896	An index of birth records from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Virginia, United States, between the years 1853 and 1896.	5,625,101 records	Search collection now
United States, Official Register of the United States	An index of employees of the United States federal government, from the Official Register of the United States, often called the "Blue Book".	10,300,986 records	Search collection now
United States Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from the United States.	190,518 newspaper pages added for a total of 120,854,575 newspaper pages	Search collection now

• Belgium Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Belgium was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Belgium Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Croatia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Croatia was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Croatia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• France Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers and periodicals from France was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1700s to mid 1900s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search France Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Germany was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1700s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Germany, Berlin Civil Birth Index, 1874-1915 This collection contains civil birth registrations from Berlin, Germany, from the year 1874 onwards. Records typically include the name of the child, the date and place of birth, and the names of the parents. Many entries also include the date of registration, the name and location of the civil registry office. Search Germany, Berlin Civil Birth Index, 1874-1915
• Germany, Berlin Civil Death Indexes, 1874-1994 This collection contains civil death registers from Berlin, Germany, from the year 1874 onwards. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date of birth, and the date and place of death. Many entries also include the registry office where the death was recorded. Search Germany, Berlin Civil Death Indexes, 1874-1994
• Germany, Berlin Civil Marriage Index, 1874-1944 This collection contains civil marriage registers from Berlin, Germany, between the years 1874 and 1944. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, and the date and place of marriage. Many entries also include the registry office where the marriage was recorded. Search Germany, Berlin Civil Marriage Index, 1874-1944
• Germany, Family Books This collection consists of extracted names from privately published genealogical lineage books (Familienstammbuch), documenting families from Germany across multiple generations. Rather than originating from a single record type, these family histories were compiled from a variety of sources to trace family lineages over time. Records typically include the name of the individual, the date and place of birth, place of residence, and the date and place of death, burial, and christening. Records also document family relationships, including parents, spouses, and children, along with the date and place of marriage. Many entries also include religion and occupation. Search Germany, Family Books
• Germany, South Baden, Church Register Duplicate Births, 1810-1870 This collection contains church birth and baptism records from South Baden, Germany, between the years 1810 and 1870. Records typically include the name of the child, the date and place of birth, the place of baptism, and the names of the parents. Search Germany, South Baden, Church Register Duplicate Births, 1810-1870
• Germany, South Baden, Church Register Duplicate Deaths, 1810-1870 This collection contains church death and burial records from South Baden, Germany, between the years 1810 and 1870. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the date and place of birth, their place of residence, the date and place of death, the place of burial, the names of the parents, and the name of the spouse. Many entries also include age at the time of death and marital status. Search Germany, South Baden, Church Register Duplicate Deaths, 1810-1870
• Germany, South Baden Church Register Duplicate Marriages, 1810-1870 This collection contains marriage records from church registers in the southern part of the Baden region, in Germany, between the years 1810 and 1870. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, the date and place of marriage, their places of residence, the date and place of birth of each, and the names of their parents. Search Germany, South Baden Church Register Duplicate Marriages, 1810-1870
• Mexico Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Mexico was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Mexico Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Mexico, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Mexico. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between the individuals, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the newspaper containing the reference and the full OCR text. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, business events, and more, and often include additional details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a useful summary of the article, generated automatically by AI. Search Mexico, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Poland Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers and periodicals from within the borders of modern Poland was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the late 1700s to mid-1900s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Poland Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Serbia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Serbia was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Serbia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Slovenia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from Slovenia was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Slovenia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Spain Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers and gazettes from Spain was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the late 1600s to early 2000s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Spain Newspapers from OldNews.com
• United Kingdom Newspapers from OldNews.com This index of historical local, regional, and national British newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes includes advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating back to 1665. Newspapers are an essential resource for genealogy and family history research as they can contain rich information about people in a family tree, through obituaries and other vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, and death notices. Additionally, society pages and stories of local interest can contain detailed records of activities and events in the community and often provide more information about the persons involved, as well as the historical context of the times in which an ancestor may have lived. Search United Kingdom Newspapers from OldNews.com
• United Kingdom & Commonwealth, World War I Prisoners of War, 1914-1918 This collection contains records of Britain and Commonwealth soldiers taken prisoner or reported missing during World War I (1914–1918). Entries typically include the name of the soldier, date and place of birth, place of residence, date and place of capture, and the camp or place of internment, along with rank, regiment, service number, and next of kin where available. The records were indexed from files originally compiled by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which traced captured and missing servicemen on behalf of their families throughout the war. Alongside the main British Army and Commonwealth file, the collection includes a separate file for servicemen reported missing at Gallipoli and the Dardanelles. Search United Kingdom & Commonwealth, World War I Prisoners of War, 1914-1918
• District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1949 This collection contains death records from the District of Columbia, United States, between the years 1874 and 1949. Records typically include the name of the deceased and the date and place of death. Many entries also include the names of the parents, race, and cause of death. Search District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1949
• New York City Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1948-1956 This collection contains passenger and crew lists of vessels and airplanes departing from New York City, New York, United States, between the years 1948 and 1956. The lists cover both the travelers and the crews serving aboard. Records typically include the name of the passenger or crew member, the place of birth, the place of residence, the date and place of departure, and the date and place of arrival. Many entries also include age, nationality, the date and place of naturalization, the final destination, the planned length of stay abroad, and the class of travel. Some records also include the duty on board for crew members and passport details. Search New York City Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1948-1956
• Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 This collection contains birth records from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Virginia, United States, between the years 1853 and 1896. Records typically include the name of the child, the date and place of birth, and the names of the parents. Many entries also include the race of the child and the name of another relative. Search Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896
• United States, Official Register of the United States This collection contains records of employees of the United States federal government. The records come from the Official Register of the United States, often called the “Blue Book”. It was first published after a congressional resolution of 1816 asked for a complete list of everyone serving the federal government. For more than a century it was the government’s own directory of its workforce. Every officer, clerk and employee was listed by department and office, along with the people serving in the army and navy, the postmasters across the country, and the contractors who carried the mail. Records typically include the name of the employee, the place of birth, the place of residence, and the date of the register along with the location of the employee’s duty station. Many entries also include the position held, the department, agency and bureau of employment, the compensation received, and the congressional district from which the employee was appointed. Search United States, Official Register of the United States
• United States Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from the United States has been created with MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Covering a period from the late 1700s to the late 1900s, these printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search United States Newspapers from OldNews.com

Example of what you could find in these records

Among the travelers listed in the new New York City Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1948-1956 collection is Walt Disney, who sailed from New York on June 15, 1951. He was the animator and film producer who, together with his brother Roy, founded the studio that carried his name, created Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie in 1928, and released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the first full-length cel-animated feature film. He went on to open Disneyland in 1955 and won 22 competitive Academy Awards, more than any other individual. 

The record shows that he was 50 years old and living at 355 Carolwood Dr., Los Angeles, California, and that he sailed aboard the RMS Queen Mary, bound for Southampton, England, for a stay of two months. He travelled with his wife Lillian and their daughters Diane and Sharon for a summer in Britain, where his studio was producing its first live-action features, among them The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men.

Details like these, from the place of residence to the ship, the destination and the length of stay, show how departure lists can bring an ancestor’s journey to life.

Summary

We hope these valuable collections help you make new discoveries in your family history research. Searching the collections on MyHeritage is free. To view the records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data, Complete, or Omni plan. For newspaper collections from OldNews.com, an Omni plan, or an OldNews Pro plan, is required to view the full newspaper images on OldNews.com. If you have a family tree on MyHeritage, our Record Matching technology will notify you automatically if records from these collections match your relatives. You’ll then be able to review the record and decide if you’d like to add the new information to your family tree. Enjoy the new collections! 

The post MyHeritage Adds 163 Million Historical Records in October 2026 appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

The board will advise MyHeritage as it expands its DNA offerings into additional areas, including health and wellness. Its role is to make sure that every new product is built on a solid scientific foundation.

What this means for MyHeritage DNA

MyHeritage DNA remains at the core of our DNA product line. Our at-home DNA test for genetic genealogy was the first in the industry to use Whole Genome Sequencing, and it continues to be the foundation of everything we offer in DNA. New products will be added alongside it.

“As we expand our DNA offerings, we place special focus on developing products based on rigorous scientific evidence,” said Ido Eytan, General Manager of Health, Wellness & New Initiatives at MyHeritage. “We look forward to working with Yaniv, Daniel, and Jamie to bring to market a new generation of unique products that benefit from MyHeritage’s global expertise in consumer genetics.”

The research behind MyHeritage DNA continues to be led by the MyHeritage Science team, as it has been since the launch of our DNA test. The Science team will work together with the Advisory Board to develop new DNA products.

Meet the founding members

Yaniv Erlich, PhD is a DNA scientist and biotechnology entrepreneur. His research in computational biology and genomics has been published in leading journals, including Nature and Science. He is Co-Founder of ScionxBio and Co-Founder and CEO of Undecimal Bio, and he was formerly a professor at Columbia University. He has been dubbed the “Genome Hacker.” As former Chief Science Officer of MyHeritage, he played a key role in the scientific research and development of the MyHeritage DNA test. We’re delighted to welcome him back.

Daniel Kraft, MD is a Stanford and Harvard-trained physician-scientist focused on the future of health and medicine. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, founder of NextMed Health, and founding Chair of Medicine at Singularity University.

Jamie Metzl, PhD is the author of Hacking Darwin and Superconvergence. He is a former member of the WHO Expert Advisory Committee on Human Genome Editing, and an advisory board member of Harvard Medical School Preventive Genomics and Lake Nona Impact Forum.

Stay tuned

With the guidance of these three experts, MyHeritage is well positioned to bring users new DNA products that are both fascinating and grounded in science. We look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks and months.

The post MyHeritage Establishes Scientific Advisory Board to Guide the Future of Its DNA Products appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Search Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries records for free

Death records are among the most valuable resources for family history research. They can reveal important details such as birth and death dates, places of residence, burial locations, and names of relatives. Obituaries may offer even more, including personal stories, occupations, and family connections that help bring your ancestors’ lives into focus.

Over the past year, MyHeritage has expanded its death, burial, cemetery, and obituary collections with significant additions from around the world. These include more than 193 million death and burial records from France, as well as collections covering New York City, Texas, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and many other locations. With so much historical information available, there’s even more to discover about the people who came before you.

Whether you’re trying to solve a long-standing family mystery, fill in missing branches of your family tree, or simply learn more about your ancestors, these historical records may hold the answers.

Free access is available through November 1, 2026. Visit myheritage.com/Halloween to start exploring.

Happy Halloween, and happy ancestor hunting!

The post Unearth Your Family History with Free Access to Death Records This Halloween appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

If you have ancestors from this part of Scotland, that history may help explain how your family’s addresses and occupations changed across generations. Why did your ancestors leave a rural parish for a mining town? How did the children of farm laborers come to work in ironworks or on the railways? The railway’s bicentenary offers an opportunity to explore the industrial changes that shaped your family’s lives, and the historical records that can help you trace them.

Key takeaways about the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

• The railway opened in 1826, initially using horses. Steam locomotives followed in 1831.
• Its significance for family history extends to mining, ironworking, construction, and the communities supported by those industries.
• Census records can help trace changing occupations, household members, and places of birth and residence.
• MyHeritage’s Scottish census collections cover 1841–1901. Original census images and specialist archives can help you investigate further.

A railway built for coal

The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway carried coal along a route of about 10 miles to the canal, where cargo could continue by water. It illustrates a transition toward industrial rail transport that initially connected with existing waterways.

While October 1826 is traditionally cited as the opening month, contemporary newspapers show coal trains running on part of the route in May. North Lanarkshire’s museums note that these earlier journeys may have been trial runs.

An article in the Caledonian Mercury, published in Edinburgh on May 29, 1826, describes a trial run on the railway

Initially operated by horses, the railway’s stronger, malleable iron rails were able to support the steam locomotives introduced in 1831.

For family historians, the important question is what this expanding industrial economy meant for the people who lived nearby.

Following work into industrial communities

Coal mines, ironworks, and expanding transport networks needed workers. North Lanarkshire’s museum service describes skilled workers arriving from England and Wales, followed by Irish laborers. Later, famine drove people from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands to seek work elsewhere, including Scotland’s Central Belt. By 1851, 35.8% of Coatbridge’s population was Irish-born.

These movements give researchers useful context, but each family needs its own evidence. If a Scottish census lists your ancestor’s birthplace as Ireland, you can look for records of an earlier home there. Compare the birthplaces of siblings to narrow down when the family moved, and check occupations across census years. If you find that an ancestor went from agricultural work to industrial employment, you may have a clue to what prompted the move.

The museum service records one example: brothers John and Hugh Tumilty, farm laborers from Banbridge in County Down, came to Coatbridge in the 1880s. John became a sawyer at the Summerlee Iron Company. Their experience shows why searching under only one occupation can leave part of a life unexplored.

Start with the Scottish census on MyHeritage

MyHeritage offers seven Scottish census collections, covering 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901. These contain about 24 million historical records. Depending on the year, entries can identify occupations, residences, birthplaces, and relationships within a household.

Begin with the Scottish census collections, then compare the same family across successive censuses. Record:

• Each person’s occupation, preserving the wording in the record.
• The address and parish of residence.
• Birthplaces, particularly those of children born between censuses.
• Other household members, including relatives, visitors, and boarders.

The 1851 Scotland Census is especially useful for tracing movement: Scottish returns from 1851 generally give a parish and county of birth for people born in Scotland, while 1841 usually indicates only whether a person was born in the county, or elsewhere.

MyHeritage provides transcripts of these Scottish censuses. Consult the original images through Scotland’s People when you need to check handwriting, resolve a transcription question, or examine the surrounding entries. The MyHeritage Wiki guide to census records in Scotland explains differences between census years and offers search tips.

Bridge the gap back to 1826

The 1841 census was taken 15 years after the railway opened. It can identify people who lived through its early years, but it cannot establish where a family lived in 1826.

To work back, combine census findings with church registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Statutory registration of births, marriages, and deaths began in Scotland in 1855; earlier research often depends on surviving church records. Search the relevant denomination as well as the parish.

Use children’s baptism entries to investigate earlier residences, and compare names and relationships across records before linking households. If a family disappears from one parish, widen the search to nearby industrial communities and places connected to known relatives.

Investigate railway employment carefully

If you find that one of your ancestors was described as a railway porter or engine driver, try investigating railway employment records. A coal miner or ironworker may have depended on the same industrial economy while working for a different employer.

The National Records of Scotland railway records guide identifies surviving staff registers and other sources. For example, it lists North British Railway staff registers for 1844–1948 under reference BR/NBR/15/1–94. These are a potential source when the employer and period fit, rather than a complete list of workers on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch line.

Before contacting an archive, gather an ancestor’s full name, approximate working dates, occupation, and addresses. Check which company operated the relevant line at that time and ask what survives. Company records, photographs, and timetables may also illuminate a workplace even when an individual staff entry cannot be found.

Put a family’s address on the map

An address becomes more informative when you can see the surrounding streets, pits, ironworks, canals, and railway lines. The National Library of Scotland’s historical maps let you investigate that geography and compare maps from different periods.

Locate an address from a census or certificate, then look for nearby workplaces and transport links. Check the map’s date: a colliery shown decades after an ancestor lived nearby may not have existed during that person’s lifetime.

Proximity is a clue for further research. Living beside a railway does not establish employment with it, and a nearby station does not prove how a family traveled.

Bring the evidence together

Choose one household in your family tree and build a timeline of its addresses, occupations, and children’s birthplaces. Add source references as you search historical records, and distinguish documented events from possible explanations.

The railway’s bicentenary can prompt a productive question about that timeline: what was changing around this family? Following up on a single occupation or unfamiliar place-name may help explain how a family became part of Scotland’s industrial communities.

FAQs about the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

When did the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway open?

It opened in 1826. October is traditionally cited, although contemporary reports document coal trains on part of the route in May.

Was it a steam railway from the beginning?

It initially used horse traction. Steam locomotives were introduced in 1831.

Can I find its employees on MyHeritage?

Scottish census transcripts on MyHeritage may identify ancestors with railway occupations, but an occupation alone does not establish the employer. Use archival staff records and other evidence to investigate a connection to this particular railway.

Where should I begin if my ancestor worked in mining or ironworking?

Find the household in the census, note occupations and addresses, and compare earlier and later returns. Historical maps and local archives can then help identify possible workplaces to investigate.

Sources

1. NorthLan Museums: The Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway
2. East Dunbartonshire Council: Bicentenary commemorative plaque and railway history
3. NorthLan Museums: Migration from Ireland to North Lanarkshire
4. Scotland’s People: Census returns guide
5. National Library of Scotland: Births, deaths and marriages
6. National Records of Scotland: Railway records for local, family and social history
7. National Library of Scotland: Maps and family history

Yan Sandler is a passionate genealogy enthusiast, specializing in Eastern European and Jewish heritage. He enjoys helping others to uncover their roots, turning complex archival fragments into meaningful family stories for researchers worldwide.

The post The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway at 200: Tracing Scotland’s Industrial Families appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

As we compared family information, I mentioned my father’s birth surname, Tate. That single detail unlocked the mystery. Penny had no idea that her father had been adopted as a child and that his surname had been changed but she knew the name “Tate” as she’d seen it on a document when clearing out her grandparents’ house. We soon realized that her father and mine were actually full brothers, born just two years apart.

Their lives had taken very different paths. My father was born Reginald Tate, but after his mother remarried and took him back into her care, his surname was changed to that of his stepfather, and he became Reg Evans.

Reg as a young man

His brother, Arthur, remained with the family who had fostered him since infancy and was later formally adopted, becoming Arthur Shearing.

Finding evidence in family records

Determined to uncover the truth, Penny began researching family records and ordered birth and marriage certificates. These documents confirmed what we had begun to suspect: both brothers were the sons of Jessie and William Tate. It was an extraordinary and deeply moving revelation for both of us.

After Arthur’s death, Penny was able to obtain his adoption records, which led her to the court records of Jessie and William’s divorce. After Jessie and William’s separation, William initially kept Arthur, but soon after he was adopted by the Shearings.

Arthur as a young man

We exchanged photographs of our fathers and were struck by the similarities in their appearance. Although they had been raised in the same area of East London, as far as we know they never met and neither knew of the other’s existence. Sadly, both had passed away before we made this discovery, so we can never know for certain what they might have felt about finding one another.

Two brothers, two lives

In 1958, my parents emigrated to Australia as part of the well-known “Ten Pound Pom” scheme, while Arthur remained in London. My father went on to build a successful career as a professional actor in Australia. Although he was best known for his stage work with the Melbourne Theatre Company, he also appeared regularly in film and television. He became highly respected within the industry, and his tragic death during the Black Saturday bushfires on February 7, 2009 made national news.

After completing his National Service with the RAF in Hong Kong, Arthur returned to England and went into the newspaper industry. He was a hot metal printer at the Daily Mirror, a national newspaper based in London’s famed Fleet Street. He remained there until his retirement. Like his older brother, Arthur was skilled with his hands and enjoyed making and building things, including furniture.

News clipping about a cradle Reg built that was still being used after his death

A mutual passion for quirky teapots

As Penny and I got to know each other through regular emails and phone calls over the following years, we discovered an astonishing number of similarities. We share a love of reading and research, and, quite amusingly, a mutual passion for collecting quirky teapots. We also have common interests in politics, travel, and environmental issues. Beyond that, we found similarities in our appearance, personalities, and ways of thinking.

After 4 years of building our relationship from opposite sides of the world, we finally met in person in 2025. From the moment we met, there was an immediate sense of connection. We spent a wonderful week together, introducing each other to our partners and sharing the stories of our lives.

Penny and Claire

Our experience has left us convinced that there is far more to genetics than we ever imagined. Despite growing up in different countries and completely separate family environments, we discovered so many traits, interests, and characteristics in common. It was a powerful reminder of the enduring influence of nature alongside nurture.

We are delighted that this unexpected DNA match brought us together, and we’re now looking forward to Penny visiting Australia next year so we can continue building the family connection we never knew we had.

Many thanks to Claire for sharing her wonderful story with us. If you’ve also made an incredible discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it! Please email us at stories@myheritage.com.

The post Our Fathers Were Brothers: How a DNA Match Brought Us Together appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Known relatives serve as essential reference points in genetic genealogy. By comparing other DNA Matches with the relatives you have already identified, you can recognize groups of matches connected to particular branches of your family and better understand how unknown matches may be related to you. For example, if a known cousin on your mother’s side appears among the Shared DNA Matches you have with another person, that can provide an important clue that the new match is connected to the same side of your family.

By confirming known relationships and indicating which side of the family each match is on, you can organize your DNA Matches more effectively and put those valuable reference points to work in your research. Your annotations will be useful later on, when MyHeritage introduces new features such as inferring the paternal side for new matches and automatic chromosome painting. Confirming relationships will also help MyHeritage improve the accuracy of its relationship predictions in the future.

What’s new?

Until now, MyHeritage displayed a probable relationship for each DNA Match based on the amount of DNA you share, your age, and the age of your match. Now, with this new feature, you can replace that estimate with a relationship you already know to be correct, such as a first cousin or great-aunt, and indicate whether the match is related to you through your mother’s or your father’s side.

How to confirm a known relationship with a DNA Match

On your DNA Matches page, hover your mouse over the probable relationship and click the pencil icon, or click the relationship itself that appears with a dotted underline:

Confirming a relationship from the DNA Matches page (click to zoom)

A page will open that displays estimated relationships to this person and the probability of each one. Now comes the new feature: if you already know how you’re related, click “Select Relationship”.

Selecting a relationship from the relationship estimate pop-up (click to zoom)

You can also reach the relationship confirmation feature by clicking the pencil icon next to the estimated relationship in the Review DNA Match page:

Confirming a relationship from an individual DNA Match page (click to zoom)

Once you click “Select Relationship,” several options will appear. If known, select the side of the family this relative is on. Then, select the relationship among the options listed:

Selecting a known relationship (click to zoom)

Currently, it is not possible to select a relationship that is not among the options listed. This capability will be added in the future.

Once you have selected what you know about your relationship with this person, click “Save relationship.”

The relationship you selected will now appear on the DNA Match card, along with the side of the family you selected and a blue checkmark indicating that you confirmed this relationship.

A DNA Match with a confirmed relationship (click to zoom)

Confirmed relationships appear on the DNA Match card, on the Review DNA Match page, and when the relative appears as a Shared DNA Match while you review another match.

Cost and availability

Confirming relationships to DNA Matches is available to all MyHeritage DNA users, and is free.

Looking ahead

A confirmed relationship can provide useful context beyond a single DNA Match, and this is only the beginning.

In the future, we plan to show which side of your family other DNA Matches are likely connected to based on relationships you have confirmed, and allow you to link a DNA Match directly to the corresponding individual in your family tree, among other enhancements.

Summary

Known relatives are valuable reference points in genetic genealogy. Now you can identify them on MyHeritage by confirming how you are related and indicating which side of your family they belong to. This makes it easier to organize your DNA Matches and use established relationships to investigate new ones. It also paves the way to new enhancements that are coming up soon.

Visit your DNA Matches page to start confirming the relationships you already know. If you haven’t tested your DNA with MyHeritage yet, order a MyHeritage DNA kit to receive DNA matches and explore how you are related to them.

The post New: Confirm Known Relationships with DNA Matches on MyHeritage appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Create your book on MyStories now with a 15% discount

Choose a natural-sounding AI narrator to read your stories, or create a version of your own voice — or that of the loved one who wrote the book — from a short recording, and use it to narrate the entire book. There’s no need to spend hours recording every chapter yourself or hire a professional narrator and audio producer. In just a few minutes, MyStories can generate a polished audiobook you can listen to from beginning to end, download to enjoy anytime, and share with family and friends.

The audiobook complements the other ways MyStories brings your memories to life. Your printed book gives you a tangible keepsake to hold and pass down, while voice recordings let you preserve moments of the storyteller speaking in their own voice. Now, the audiobook gives family members another way to enjoy the complete collection, whether during a long drive, a quiet moment at home, or simply whenever they’d rather hear your stories than read them.

How AI narration works

Creating a complete audiobook traditionally means spending hours recording the book yourself or hiring a professional narrator, which can be costly. AI narration offers a much simpler alternative: it generates natural-sounding speech directly from the written text of your stories. Using advanced text-to-speech technology, your entire book can be transformed into an audiobook in just a few minutes.

For a narrator voice, the AI analyzes the text and generates spoken narration that reflects the rhythms and intonation of natural speech, using a voice you select.

Voice cloning takes this technology a step further. Instead of using an existing narrator voice, the AI creates a voice model based on a short recording. You simply read a provided passage aloud for around a minute, and the technology analyzes characteristics of your voice to create a model that can narrate the written text of the book.

How to create your audiobook

To turn your completed book into an audiobook, visit the MyStories dashboard and select “Create audiobook.”

Creating an audiobook on MyStories

Set a narration voice

First, choose a voice to narrate your audiobook. You can choose from among a variety of natural, expressive narrator voices, or clone a real voice.

Selecting a stock AI narrator for your MyStories audiobook (click to zoom)

When using a stock narrator’s voice, you can listen to a demo of each option. Once you’ve selected your favorite, click “Save & Continue.”

If you prefer a cloned voice, you’ll need to record a voice sample. Simply click or tap record and read the provided text aloud.

Cloning a voice for a MyStories audiobook (click to zoom)

Check the boxes to confirm that you have permission to clone this voice and will use it for the audiobook only, then click “Save & Continue.”

Choose the stories to include

Next, select the stories you want to include in your audiobook. Your selections can be different from the printed version of your book, so you can tailor the audiobook to include exactly what you want your listeners to hear. You can also choose whether to include your dedication.

Selecting the content of your MyStories audiobook (click to zoom)

Review your audiobook

Before generating the audiobook, review the final content and listen to a sample of your stories in the voice you selected to hear how the narration sounds.

Reviewing your MyStories audiobook (click to zoom)

Once everything looks and sounds right, check the box to confirm that the content is final, and continue to checkout to complete your purchase and generate the audiobook.

An average-length audiobook should be ready within just a few minutes.

Listening to and sharing your MyStories audiobook

Once your audiobook has been generated, you can access it anytime from your dashboard:

Accessing your audiobook on MyStories (click to zoom)

From there, you can listen to the full book or to individual chapters:

Your audiobook on MyStories (click to zoom)

You can also download the full book or individual chapters as MP3 files to listen to on your computer or mobile device, save for later, or send to family and friends.

Frequently asked questions about MyStories audiobooks

How long does it take to generate an audiobook?

An average-length audiobook should take no more than a few minutes to generate once you’ve completed the setup and purchase.

How much do I need to record to create a cloned voice?

You only need to make a short recording by reading the passage provided. A recording of around 60 seconds is recommended for the best results.

Can I make changes to my audiobook later?

Yes. If you want to use a different voice, change the stories included, or generate a new version after editing your book, you can create another audiobook for $39. Your previous version will remain available in your audiobook history. If you’re not satisfied with the quality of the audio for some reason, contact the MyStories support team and they’ll help you regenerate the book at no cost.

Your voice and privacy

If you choose to create a cloned voice, your voice sample is used only to create the narration for your MyStories audiobook. It is securely protected, never used to train a shared AI voice model, and deleted once your voice model has been created. You can also delete the cloned voice from your account at any time.

Cost

Creating an audiobook costs $39, whether you use a narrator voice or a cloned voice. You can add an audiobook when purchasing or renewing your MyStories subscription, or create one later from your book dashboard.

The $39 fee covers one version of your audiobook. If you later make changes to your book, choose a different voice, or want to change which stories are included, you can generate a new version for an additional $39.

Your stories, now in a whole new format

Your MyStories book preserves the memories, experiences, and moments you want to pass on. Now, those same stories can be heard as well as read.

Whether you choose a narrator you love or create an audiobook in a version of your own voice, you can give yourself and your family another meaningful way to enjoy your stories today and treasure them for years to come.

Get 15% off your MyStories book

The post New: Turn Your MyStories Book Into an Audiobook appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

However, according to research by MyHeritage, this diversity is under threat. While common surnames such as Müller, Schmidt, and Weber are carried by large numbers of people, many rare German surnames are on the verge of extinction.

Müller has been Germany’s most common surname for years, with more than 256,000 bearers. Schmidt ranks second, with more than 190,000. When related variants with different spellings or pronunciations are included, the number exceeds 300,000. These variants include Schmitt, ranked 26th in Germany with approximately 40,000 bearers; Schmitz, ranked 29th with nearly 39,000; and Schmid, ranked 32nd with more than 35,000.

Illustration of a blacksmith at work from Eigentliche Beschreibung aller Stände auf Erden, published 1568 in Germany

At the other end of the scale, dozens of surnames are at risk of disappearing from Germany. Some are carried by just one or two people.

The MyHeritage Research team studied the origins and distribution of German surnames to identify some of the rarest names in the country, including related variants with different spellings or pronunciations. Here are 10 examples.

Wollseif

Recent data shows only one person in Germany with the surname Wollseif.

The variant Wollseiffen has 19 bearers, while the more common Wollseifen is still extremely rare, with fewer than 50.

The surname originated in medieval Germany and likely referred to people involved in the wool or soap-making trades. It combines the words for “wool” (Wolle) and “soap” (Seif).

Aalfeld

Only two people in Germany are documented with the surname Aalfeld. Related variants include Alfeldt (9 bearers) and Alfeld (17 bearers).

The surname comes from a place name, such as Alfeld in the Hildesheim district of Lower Saxony or Ahlefeld, part of Ahlefeld-Bistensee in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district of Schleswig-Holstein.

Anonymous drawing of the Alfeld an der Leine train station circa 1900

Abatzidou

Only one person in Germany is documented with the surname Abatzidou.

Related variants include Abatzidis (8 bearers) and Abatzis (16 bearers).

The surname Abatzis dates back to the Byzantine era and comes from a Greek term meaning “servant” or “attendant.” It was historically associated with service to the nobility and skilled trades. The name spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas during the 19th and 20th centuries as Greek migrants sought better opportunities abroad.

Bachbaur

Only one person in Germany is currently documented with the surname Bachbaur. Its main variant, Bachbauer, has 23 bearers.

The surname originated in medieval Bavaria and described people who lived near streams. It combines the Middle High German words for “stream” (Bach) and “farmer” or “builder” (Baur). This reflects the importance of waterways to early settlements. The name has survived centuries of regional change, preserving its connections to farming and craftsmanship.

Haberts

Recent data shows only one person in Germany with the surname Haberts.

Related variants include Habbert (6 bearers), Habert (31 bearers), and Habbers (2 bearers).

The surname Habert can be traced to the ancient Germanic name Hadebert, which combines had (“battle”) and berht (“fame”). The name has medieval roots in what is now Germany and France, where bearers served in feudal administration and land management. Like many surnames, it likely also reflected a family’s identity or social standing within its community.

Ibertsberger

Only one person in Germany is documented with the surname Ibertsberger. Its variant, Ibetsberger, is almost as rare, with just 2 bearers.

The surname comes from the Alpine regions of southern Germany and Austria and likely referred to people from places such as Ibertsberg. The Middle High German suffix -berger means “mountain dweller,” suggesting that the name described families living near prominent geographical features. Over time, it also became associated with the region’s farming and craft traditions.

Zumbühl

Only 10 people in Germany are documented with the surname Zumbühl.

Related variants include Zumbiehl (3 bearers) and Zumbiel (23 bearers).

The surname originated in the Alpine regions of Central Europe and likely described people who lived near a particular landmark. It combines the Middle High German words zum (“to the”) and Bühl (“hill”), suggesting that it referred to families living near a hill. Over time, the name became associated with the region’s farming and pastoral traditions.

Wahnschap

Only 3 people in Germany are documented with the surname Wahnschap. Related variants include Wanschap (3 bearers), Wannschap (3 bearers), and Wahnschaap (21 bearers).

The surname originated in medieval Germany and likely referred to a family’s location or occupation. Different regional spellings developed over time, particularly during periods of migration in the 19th century.

Abbuhl

Only 11 people in Germany are currently documented with the surname Abbuhl.

The name originated in German-speaking Switzerland and likely comes from the biblical name Abel, meaning “breath” or “vapor.” Like many Swiss surnames, it also followed naming traditions associated with occupations, farming, and land ownership. Although variations of the name exist across German-speaking regions, it remains exceptionally rare today.

Abbetmeier

Recent records show only 9 people in Germany with the surname Abbetmeier. Its main variant, Abbetmeyer, has 12 bearers.

The surname originated in medieval German-speaking regions and likely referred to an occupation. It combines the name Abbet with meyer, a Middle High German term for “steward.” Surnames of this kind became hereditary between the 12th and 15th centuries and often reflected a family’s role in agricultural administration. They also indicated a family’s social and professional standing.

Below is a death record for Ms. Agathe Abbetmeyer from the German civil death register (Sterberegister) in Hückeswagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, dated April 14, 1925. The record was analyzed using MyHeritage’s Scribe AI tool:

Civil death register of a person with the rare surname Abbetmeyer, with a Scribe AI analysis and translation

Every surname carries a piece of history, and even the rarest names can reveal clues about the people and places they came from. While some German surnames may be disappearing, the stories behind them can still be preserved through historical records and family research.

Curious about the history of your own surname? Explore billions of historical records on MyHeritage to discover where your family name came from and trace the generations who carried it before you.

The post 10 German Surnames on the Verge of Extinction appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Explore the 28 new and updated historical record collections added this month

Collection	Description	Number of Records	Link to Search
Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Austria.	98,999 newspaper pages added for a total of 14,764,942 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Austria, Vienna Military Muster Rolls	An index of muster rolls of soldiers registered at Vienna, Austria.	1,906,550 records	Search collection now
Baltic Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Baltic nations and territories of Latvia and Estonia.	89,561 newspaper pages added for a total of 3,749,398 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Belgium Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Belgium.	259,210 newspaper pages added for a total of 1,321,061 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Belgium, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Belgium, extracted using MyHeritage's AI and OCR technology.	16,815,100 records	Search collection now
Croatia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Croatia.	497,710 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Czechia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Czechia.	436,191 newspaper pages added for a total of 7,962,151 newspaper pages	Search collection now
1900 Czechia Census	An index of the 1900 Czechia census, taken on 31 December 1900, when modern Czechia was part of the Austria-Hungarian empire.	3,026,880 records	Search collection now
England, Norfolk Poor Law Union registers, 1796-1900	An index of poor law union records from Norfolk, England, between the years 1796 and 1900.	1,060,220 records	Search collection now
Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Germany.	2,062,979 newspaper pages added for a total of 28,384,396 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Germany, Hamburg Alien Registrations, 1868-1889	An index of alien registration records from Hamburg, Germany, between the years 1868 and 1889.	548,640 records	Search collection now
Greece, Northern Greek Voter Lists, 1914-1920	An index of voter lists from Northern Greece, between the years 1914 and 1920, naming the voter's father.	149,364 records	Search collection now
Italy Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Italy.	96,107 newspaper pages added for a total of 9,904,042 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the Netherlands, extracted using MyHeritage's AI and OCR technology.	73,000,000 records added for a total of 740,575,518 records	Search collection now
Netherlands, Army Service Registers, 1807-1929	An index of army service records of individuals who served in the Netherlands Army, between the years 1807 and 1929.	1,632,890 records	Search collection now
New Zealand Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from New Zealand.	500,000 newspaper pages added for a total of 4,525,073 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Poland Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from within the borders of modern Poland.	2,008,394 newspaper pages added for a total of 14,173,020 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Poland, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Poland on OldNews.com, extracted using MyHeritage's AI technology.	223,191,210 records	Search collection now
Serbia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Serbia.	1,116 newspaper pages added for a total of 630,092 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Slovakia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from Slovakia.	505,774 newspaper pages added for a total of 1,203,835 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Slovenia Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Slovenia.	1,425,780 newspaper pages	Search collection now
Spain, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Spain, extracted using MyHeritage's AI and OCR technology.	7,427,370 records added for a total of 340,396,041 records	Search collection now
Switzerland Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from Switzerland.	487,370 newspaper pages added for a total of 1,453,502 newspaper pages	Search collection now
United Kingdom, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the United Kingdom on OldNews.com, extracted using MyHeritage's AI technology.	7,300,000 records added for a total of 864,473,467 records	Search collection now
Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com (California, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from California, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands on OldNews.com, extracted using MyHeritage's AI technology.	100,000,000 records added for a total of 353,222,135 records	Search collection now
Illinois, Archdiocese of Chicago, Cemetery registers, 1864-1989	An index of Catholic cemetery burial registers from Cook and Lake County, Illinois, United States, from the year 1864 onward.	1,920,870 records	Search collection now
Washington, Marriage Index, 1969-2014	An index of marriage records from Washington, United States, from the year 1969 onwards, naming the groom, the bride, and the date and place of marriage.	3,981,060 records	Search collection now
United States Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from the United States.	27,483 newspaper pages added for a total of 120,727,325 newspaper pages	Search collection now

• Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Austria was created through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily from the mid-1700s to mid-1900s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Austria Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Austria, Vienna Military Muster Rolls This collection contains muster rolls of soldiers registered at Vienna, Austria. Records typically include the name of the soldier, date and place of birth, military roll number and draft number. Records also include information about the soldier’s relatives in the household. Additional details can be found on each record’s associated image. This collection is provided in partnership with the Vienna City Archives. Search Austria, Vienna Military Muster Rolls
• Baltic Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Baltic nations and territories of Latvia and Estonia. It was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Baltic Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Belgium Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Belgium was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Belgium Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Belgium, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Belgium. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article, along with the full OCR text. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search Belgium, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Croatia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Croatia was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Croatia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Czechia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Czechia was created by MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles dating from 1756 onwards. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Czechia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• 1900 Czechia Census The 1900 Czechia census was taken on 31 December 1900, during the period when modern Czechia was part of Austria-Hungarian empire. Records typically include names, date and place of birth, relatives in the household and residence information. Additional details can be found on each record’s associated image. Search 1900 Czechia Census
• England, Norfolk Poor Law Union registers, 1796-1900 This collection contains poor law union records from Norfolk, England, between the years 1796 and 1900. Records in this collection span a variety of document types, including admission and discharge books, rate books, poor lists, relief lists, and registers of births, deaths, baptisms, and burials. Records typically include the name of the individual, their place of birth, the date and place of residence, including any previous residence, the Poor Law Union and parish to which they belonged, and the names of their parents and spouse. Search England, Norfolk Poor Law Union registers, 1796-1900
• Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Germany was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1700s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Germany Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Germany, Hamburg Alien Registrations, 1868-1889 This collection contains alien registration records from Hamburg, Germany, between the years 1868 and 1889. As a self-governing city-state, Hamburg required all non-citizens, including arrivals from other German states, to register with the authorities when they came to live or work in the city. Records typically include the name of the registrant, the date and place of birth, the date and place of registration. Many entries also include the occupation of the registrant. This collection is unique to MyHeritage. The records were extracted from the scanned cards using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Due to the use of artificial intelligence in extracting this information, some records may contain inaccuracies. Search Germany, Hamburg Alien Registrations, 1868-1889
• Greece, Northern Greek Voter Lists, 1914-1920 This collection contains voter lists from Northern Greece, between the years 1914 and 1920. Records typically include the name of the voter, their year of birth, the year and place of residence, the year and place of application, and the name of the father. Many entries also include the occupation of the voter. We recognize and thank Greg Kontos for his invaluable contributions to the publication of this collection. Search Greece, Northern Greek Voter Lists, 1914-1920
• Italy Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Italy was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Italy Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the Netherlands. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article, along with the full OCR text. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Netherlands, Army Service Registers, 1807-1929 This collection contains army service records of individuals who served in the Netherlands Army, between the years 1807 and 1929. Records typically include the name of the individual, the date and place of birth, the place of previous residence, the enlistment and discharge date, and the names of the parents. Some records may also include the date of death. Search Netherlands, Army Service Registers, 1807-1929
• New Zealand Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from New Zealand was created with MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles from the mid-1800s to 1944. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search New Zealand Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Poland Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from within the borders of modern Poland was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the late 1700s to mid-1900s. In addition to news of the day that may contain names of relatives, they contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Poland Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Poland, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Poland on OldNews.com. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search Poland, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Serbia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Serbia was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Serbia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Slovakia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection comprises historical national, regional, and local newspapers and periodicals from Slovakia, created with MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) technology. The articles primarily cover the period from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. Alongside daily news that may mention relatives, these publications offer a wealth of vital record substitutes, including birth, marriage, and death notices, as well as obituaries. Search Slovakia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Slovenia Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers, periodicals and gazettes from Slovenia was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the mid 1800s to mid 1900s. These printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search Slovenia Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Spain, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from Spain. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article, along with the full OCR text. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search Spain, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Switzerland Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional and local newspapers and periodicals from Switzerland was created using MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) of articles primarily focused from the late 1700s to early-1900s. In addition to daily and weekly publications that often include names of relatives, they also contain a wide range of vital record substitutes such as birth, marriage, death notices and obituaries. Search Switzerland Newspapers from OldNews.com
• United Kingdom, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the United Kingdom on OldNews.com. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search United Kingdom, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
• Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com (California, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands) This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from California, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands on OldNews.com. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between them, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the article. Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, and business events, and often add details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a summary of the article generated automatically by AI. Search Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com (California, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Illinois, Archdiocese of Chicago, Cemetery registers, 1864-1989 This collection contains Catholic cemetery burial registers from Cook and Lake County, Illinois, United States, from the year 1864 onward. Records typically include the name of the deceased, their birth year, the date of death, and the date and place of burial. Search Illinois, Archdiocese of Chicago, Cemetery registers, 1864-1989
• Washington, Marriage Index, 1969-2014 This collection contains marriage records from Washington, United States, from the year 1969 onwards. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, and the date and place of marriage. Search Washington, Marriage Index, 1969-2014
• United States Newspapers from OldNews.com This collection of historical national, regional, and local newspapers, periodicals, and gazettes from United States has been created with MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Covering a period from the late 1700s to the late 1900s, these printed articles feature daily news that may include mentions of relatives, and offer a rich variety of vital record substitutes, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, along with obituaries. Search United States Newspapers from OldNews.com

Example of what you could find in these records

Among the people recorded in the new 1900 Czechia Census is Josef Čapek, born on March 23, 1887, in Hronov, Náchod, Bohemia, Czechia. A Czech painter and writer and a pioneer of Czech Cubism, he is credited with coining the word “robot” for his brother Karel’s 1920 play R.U.R., a term that entered languages worldwide. He became one of Czechoslovakia’s most outspoken anti-fascist voices through his cartoons and essays of the 1930s. Arrested by the Gestapo in 1939, he died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945, just weeks before liberation, and is remembered today as a founding figure of Czech modern art and a symbol of intellectual resistance. In the census, 13-year-old Josef is listed as single and living in Úpice, Trutnov, Bohemia, with his parents, Antonín Čapek and Božena Čapkova (born Novotná). The household record shows the whole family together: his sister Helena, born January 28, 1886, and his brother Karel, born January 29, 1890, along with a mother-in-law, Helena Novotná, and a maid, Anna Tláskalová. Details like these, naming every member of the household with their relationship and date of birth, make the census a valuable way to see a family as it lived together.

Summary

We hope these valuable collections help you make new discoveries in your family history research. Searching the collections on MyHeritage is free. To view the records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data, Complete, or Omni plan. For newspaper collections from OldNews.com, an Omni plan, or an OldNews Pro plan, is required to view the full newspaper images on OldNews.com. If you have a family tree on MyHeritage, our Record Matching technology will notify you automatically if records from these collections match your relatives. You’ll then be able to review the record and decide if you’d like to add the new information to your family tree. Enjoy the new collections!

The post MyHeritage Adds 450 Million Historical Records in September 2026 appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.