From family roots to family reunions
Genealogy
begins with
your loved ones.
A name on an old photograph. A story told over dinner. A cousin you barely know. Connect the people, then let your family tell the rest.
No account needed to try · A fictional example · Your data stays in your browser
Understanding the basics
Genealogy connects people.
Family gives them a story.
Exploring your genealogy means researching and organising relationships across generations. It brings together identities, dates, places and documents, while keeping verified facts separate from memories that still need checking.
A tree helps you understand who is whose parent, child or cousin. You can begin with a few familiar people: you do not need to go back five centuries to tell your family’s story.
Choose your perspective
Where I come from.
What connects us.
Tracing your ancestors or following a couple’s descendants: two questions, two ways of showing the same relationships.
Who are my ancestors?
You, your parents, your grandparents… Each generation opens up new leads.
Understand an ancestor tree DescendantsWho shares this story?
An ancestor or a couple, then their children, grandchildren and cousins. A useful starting point for a family reunion.
Understand a descendant treeTurn words into connections
A tree to explore.
Try it: it comes to life.
These are Cœur de Famille’s cards, zoom controls, search and relationship calculator. Everyone in this example is entirely fictional.
Example: the Moreau–Martin family
Information to check in your file
- 01
Start with what you know
Your loved ones, their names and confirmed relationships. An unknown date can stay unknown.
- 02
Ask a relative to check a branch
One person recognises a face, another remembers a place. Keep a record of where each discovery came from.
- 03
Choose whom to share with
A branch around a pair of grandparents or a wider group: your family space follows your plans.
Before you begin
Your first questions
Do I need four spaces for my four grandparents?
The number of spaces depends on the groups you want to share with. Two grandparents’ descendants may overlap. You can bring several branches into one space or keep them separate for different conversations. Branch settings can then guide new additions.
Does Cœur de Famille research my ancestors for me?
The application organises information contributed by your family. It does not search public archives or promise to discover your ancestors automatically.
Will my tree become public?
A family space’s tree is available according to that space’s access rules and permissions. This workshop’s GEDCOM stays in your browser; it is not published.
Further reading: family trees explained by the CNRS.
Names come to life when you share them
A tree to find each other.
A space to stay close.
Photographs, memories, news and events: your story continues with the people who live it.