Are you a Genealogist or Family Historian?

~ Chiddicks Family Tree

I recently posted a question online that had been puzzling me for some time.

“What name do we give ourselves when we refer to our hobby and what we do? Are you a Genealogist or a Family Historian, or something entirely different?”

Is there actually a difference and at the end of the day, does it really matter?

I have always referred to myself as an ‘Enthusiastic Amateur’, both in a light-hearted way, but also semi-seriously. This to me highlights the fact that I am not a professional researcher and my view is ‘what I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm’. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it does show that I am not a professional researcher. As an aside to this point, I know many amateur’s that are equally as skilled as their professional counterparts, so, therefore, being classed as “an amateur” is by no means a detrimental title, I just mentally differentiate an amateur from a professional based on the fact that the professional charges for their services, whereas an amateur does not. Now I know many of you will cross over both sides of that fence, but it’s just a simplistic view of my own, that helps me sort out who’s who.

I was astounded at the response to my original question and I was literally inundated with replies, which really made me question my own views and it made me think about how we describe ourselves is far more important than I ever imagined. Of course, if you are making a living from Family History and you are already classed as a ‘professional’, then the image you might want to convey will be reflective of that, and you will want to convey an air of ‘professionalism’ and quite rightly so. For maybe the rest of us, the hobbyists, it’s a bit more fluid, and we can change our name a bit like a chameleon does to suit every occasion.

pexels-egor-kamelev-754100

The problem that I find with labels, whether you give them to yourself or you are given them, is that they can actually be slightly misleading. My original tongue-in-cheek title that I gave myself, at the start of the blog; ‘Enthusiastic Amateur’, although only meant as fun, can actually have a negative impact on how people might view you. The word amateur can imply either a lack of experience or level of expertise and can also suggest a lack of quality. I am sure many of the amateurs amongst us, including myself, would feel slightly aggrieved at being thought of in that way. So, therefore, the name that we give ourselves can potentially be more significant than we actually realise. You could also consider at what point and what level of experience do you consider it reasonable to give yourself a “Title”. My good friend Gem, of Quirky Gem’s Podcast fame, suggests that a person should really “earn their stripes first”, before actually calling themselves something, which is certainly another very valid point.

Quirky Gem’s Podcast

The results were quite revealing. The two most common replies were indeed ‘Family Historian’ and Genealogist and there was a noticeable difference between the replies from UK ‘Genies’ compared to my American friends. It does appear that there is a divide of opinion across the pond. It might well be a cultural difference in language? I would love to hear your views on the subject.

In my view, a ‘Family Historian’ is someone that researches people, places, cultures, heritage and the context of where and when our ancestors lived. Whereas a Genealogist implies somebody who just researches pedigree’s (family tree’s), of course, I am sure that some of you will disagree with this.

pexels-tima-miroshnichenko-6549342

There were certainly lots of variations of both these terms, some humorous and others, just a subtle variation of the original two;

Here are just a few examples of the alternatives;

Genealogy Geek, Collector of Stories, Family Researcher, Historical Researcher, Story Teller, Armchair Genealogist, Story Keeper, Family History Keeper, to name but a few.

So, has my own opinion changed from my original thoughts?

Whilst I am still very much ‘enthusiastic’ and I am still not a ‘professional’, I have opted to change my title to ‘Story Teller’, which best describes what I am trying to achieve, but Family Historian also ‘fits’ rather nicely. Does any of this really matter and is it really that important? Yes, if you hope to make a living at Genealogy or Family History, but less so if you are a hobbyist, such as myself.

If you have your own thoughts, I would really love to hear from you and maybe you call yourself something entirely different. Over the years, I have also affectionately referred to myself as ‘The Happy Reaper’ because of my obsession with trying to find the final resting places of as many of my Ancestors as I can, but that’s an entirely different story.

Just for fun, I have created a few new titles for you all to enjoy. Maybe you fit into one of these categories instead?

Tree Harvester – Someone who collects and ‘hoovers up’ trees and people from anyone’s tree they find on our favourite Genealogy website, probably has a tree that contains over 50, 000 names on it.

Cut and Paste King – Someone who thinks in Genealogical terms that GPS means Global Positioning System. Somebody that is quite happy to cut and paste any relative facts from someone else’s tree and thinks that as far as verifying the details are concerned, they are happy that “it must be a fact, because I saw it online”.

The Magpie – Who hasn’t been attracted by that ‘Bright Shiny Genealogical Object’? We all have to a certain degree, but it takes strong willpower and discipline not to spend all day, every day, chasing ‘Fools Gold’.

The Ethnicity Expert – Takes a DNA test purely for the Ethnicity Estimate and frustratingly for you and me, has no interest in Family History or building a family tree. Never replies to a DNA message.

The Surfer – Spends many days aimlessly flitting around our favourite websites with no structure or method and repeats the same searches again and again and again……

pexels-guy-kawasaki-1654498

The Archiphobe – Someone that thinks that all records are online and has never left the comfort of their armchair, very dismissive of others who suggest that there are ‘other records available’.

The Finisher – Someone who has obviously ‘finished’ their family tree and cannot understand why the rest of us are lagging behind.

So which one are you?………………

All My Blogs For Family Tree Magazine in one handy place

Copyright © 2021 Paul Chiddicks | All rights reserved

Published by Chiddicks Family Tree

I began researching my family tree around 15 years ago to initially find out more about my Father who died when I was three years old and I haven’t stopped searching yet. I also have a keen interest in Military History in particular WW1.

83 thoughts on “Are you a Genealogist or Family Historian?”

  2. I consider myself a “Family Historian” however, apparently when I made up cards to hand out at conferences I called myself a “Genealogist” so I must have had a bigger opinion of myself that day as I do tend to think of professionals more as genealogists. Great topic!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. The post is very funny, rather brilliantly written, really, quite apart from the question. I’m not involved in any sort of genealogy, nor am I barking up any family tree. But if you ask me, I think Family Historian is beautiful. It’s warm and rounded and it does justice to the contents of your blog.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I have to say, I’m an avid reader of literature. And yet, your posts are a welcome addition. I find strange comfort in them. They are simple, down-to-earth, elegantly written, and really reaching out to your readership. Thank you for your blog!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. As a complete novice writer, that means the world to me. I am astounded that people read what I write and even more grateful when people say that they actually enjoy what I write. That’s definitely the most comforting and encouraging compliment that I have received so far, that’s extremely kind of you.

        Like

  4. I’m both genealogist and family historian. I think they’re on a continuum, because who knows where exactly they kiss and commingle? Also I find my clients want to be assured I know what I’m doing, but that I also present information in an accessible way, which to me is a leg in both camps.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Absolutely it’s important that clients feel a sense of professionalism with how you present yourself but it’s a fascinating subject to hear everybody else’s opinions. As an experienced amateur I like to emphasise the story telling part.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. I enjoyed the article and the titles you made up at the end. Very clever. I call myself a family historian. Genealogy is just a tool I use in building my stories. But come to think of it, I did recently title myself a genealogist on my Facebook page. Oops! I think people “get” that word, and it’s shorter.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Eilene and I’m glad you enjoyed the tongue in cheek made up names at the end. When I first began to look at this I felt that what we call ourselves wasn’t really that important. However the more I have looked at it the more I began to realise that even as an amateur it is actually more important than I realised.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I use both terms, choosing one over the other based on what I’m doing. If I’m taking a more factual tact, I’ll use “genealogist”. When I’m writing a story about an ancestor or relative, and trying to make sense of the facts, I’ll use “family historian”. I’ve acquired gobs of information over the last 45+ years. Much of it does not fit into traditional “events” in my software, but it needs preserving so it doesn’t die with me. Even when I’m telling a story, I find myself doing research to make sure the details in the story match reality.

    You mentioned a difference in the terms used, depending on which side of the Atlantic replied, but didn’t specify which term was preferred in the USA vs. UK. Enquiring minds want to know . . .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Christine and you are very much in the same boat as myself, I have previously bounced between titles and names to suit the occasion and audience. I initially thought that it didn’t really matter what I call myself, as an amateur I’m not being paid for my services so why does it matter? But thinking about it more, it’s about sending the right message of who you are and what you are trying to achieve, hence why I lean towards “story teller” or “family historian”. With regards the difference across the pond, the term genealogist tended to be used more by people in the USA whereas here the term used most often was Family Historian. I would be interested to hear more from my friends down under to see what their opinions are

      Like

      Reply

  7. This is the definition of genealogist from the Oxford English Dictionary “One who traces the descent of persons, or who is interested in the study of genealogies.” It doesn’t say anything about being paid to do so or differentiate between “professional” and “amateur”. (“genealogist, n.”. OED Online. June 2021. Oxford University Press. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77481?redirectedFrom=genealogist& (accessed July 18, 2021).)

    That said, I use both terms to describe myself as I both trace lines of descent and research/write about the location, social history, geography, etc. of my ancestors.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Teresa, I think there is also a difference between here and the USA which might be based on the slight language difference? I can fully understand why professionals have to convey a certain amount of credibility in their titles, but a really interesting subject to discuss

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. Dear Paul, once again your post resonated for me. As I was preparing my blog post today I seemed to use either genealogist or family historian to describe what I do. Thinking a bit deeper I would also answer to Essential Genealogist and Ancestry Whisperer. Mostly what I do (after I have researched, harvested evidence and written ancestral stories) is pass on my tips for others to become successful Family History Detectives.!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Carole, it’s a great topic to discuss and we all have different perspectives on how we view ourselves. It would be great to canvas more opinion from down under, the predominance of ancestors were from the UK and USA, be good to see what your friends and colleagues think
      On the subject.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. I have long referred to myself as a family historian, because for me it’s all about the broader context of our families’ lives, places and experiences. In my mind, genealogy is like the framework of a house, necessary to discover more detail about each person, but far from the whole story. It’s also why I say a family history blog is writing your family stories online.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. i agree its about the wider aspects of out ancestors lives, its as much social history as family history. i love the framework of a house analogy, we can hang the pieces of information on the framework or walls of the house

      Like

      Reply

  10. I’m an American calling myself a “passionate genealogist” because I’m rather obsessive about building out my family tree, but I am not, at this point, a professional, although I would like to be. I don’t have the money to put into the training I think I would need to become a professional.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. Pingback: Are you a genealogist, family historian, story collector, or detective? - Genealogy à la carteGenealogy à la carte

  12. My card says Genealogical Researcher as I am involved in both seeking more data for myself as well as finding answers to questions others ask of me. As for “earning my strips” more than fifty years have passed since I begin my quest and aside from those with an interest in DNA help I feel quite qualified to seek help in both brick and mortar as well as on the web. Doing a small search for folks in court houses, churches, cemeteries, newspapers, on-line, etc is much more different than creating a pedigree with all the facts, sources, pictures and stories. Both have been done in the past. Thus ‘researcher’ seems to sit well for me at this stage of my life.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Norm it sounds like you have a wealth of experience and expertise to offer the family history community. For me it’s about bringing all the aspects of our ancestors life that tells their unique story in the best way that we can. The records are the framework with which we hang the story

      Like

      Reply

  13. Ah, great question! As for researching my family history, I am most definitely family historian, because my primary goal is to record the facts about the past generations I already know and try to verify their accuracy. I am not conducting any researches which are remotely close to what you are doing.
    But I also wanted to comment on amateur/professional distinction. I am doing a lot of volunteering in different areas. For some of these activities, I am an amateur, but some colunteering, like leading local professional meetups, require TONS of experience. If you go to my LinkedIn page, you would see that in addition to my current place of work, I proudly mention “Local organizer of Chicago PostgreSQL User Group”. That being said, I think that whether you are paid for this work or not is not necessarily a decisive factor.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It’s a great discussion point and you raise a really good point in the distinction between amateur and professional. The way I separated the two in my own head was whether one was paid for work or not which didn’t take into account people that are willing volunteers and carry out free research on behalf of others. It’s a great and valid point that I hadn’t thought of so thanks for sharing that with me Hettie

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. Reminds me of the time back in the day when everyone in the tech world called themselves an evangelist of some sort. Being an ordained minister I would refer to myself as an “actual evangelist.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. I’ve only been doing research on my family tree since 2012, so I’m just a baby really in the community. At first, I considered myself an amateur genealogist, but as time has gone on, I’ve grown more to be a family historian as well. I wanted to know more than just the names in my tree. I wanted to know their stories. Their lives. Maybe try to understand some things that have happened so I could better understand myself. So now I refer to myself as a Family Historian and Genealogy Addict. The genealogy addict comes from the Facebook group I help admin: Genealogy Addicts Anonymous. We are definitely addicted to researching our ancestors.

    Your post was really thought-provoking for sure. Made me really consider what I do call myself and how others would perceive me. And I think, for now, Family Historian and Genealogy Addict fit.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Jen I am so pleased that you found my post both interesting and thought provoking. The more I looked into this the more I began to question how I saw myself more and more and it became a fascinating and interesting discussion. I love the “Genealogy Addict” tag that’s got a modern feel to it, thanks for sharing with me your views Jen.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Thanks Jennifer, i have found it such a fascinating topic to discuss. When I first started to write this post ihad the idea that it wasn’t really that important, but more and more I began to realise that its a fundamental part of who we are and what we do, so I had to rethink my own viewpoint

      Like

      Reply

  17. I’m from UK and I always say I’m researching my family tree. My family call me the family historian. A Genealogist to me is a professional expert who is totally dedicated to the field and displays a wealth of knowledge and is able to present their findings with utmost certainty that every cross reference has been verified and sourced. Even after 30 years I would call myself an amateur as i dip in and out if it at will.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. Wonderfully thought provoking! I call myself a hobby genealogist because I don’t get payed, but have increased my skill enough to feel comfortable with my experience (and still learning). I guess I transitioned to family historian when I started blogging and when my family recognized that I had learned more than my great aunt’s (genealogists) on certain family lines.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Kelly, you have become my “go to” family historian blogger now, there isn’t a subject that you haven’t covered in some way! I think when we’re young, life fits neatly into defined ‘boxes’, we like to think of things as black or white. Life in reality is much greyer than that and the lines are somewhat blurred and we can’t always fit things into a specific ‘box’.

      Like

      Reply

  22. I concur with Jude’s comment (right at the top) that I usually associate the term “genealogist” with a professional role. But I consider myself a family historian because I like to go beyond merely collecting names, genealogically speaking, and discover a wider history, both of the individuals and their lives in historical context. It’s the most fun bit, too! 😁

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. I’d have to say I lean towards genealogist because I do original research for myself, document findings and have rarely chased after family lore.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  25. My opinion on this has changed a few times over the years, and whilst I have sometimes called myself a genealogist in the past, I consider that many of my scientist friends have studied and built their career on science and that’s been founded in academic achievement and peer review in order for them to get their ‘ology/ologist’ title or qualification.

    I have not followed a certified or academic route to a career in genealogy, and am therefore happy to identify as a family historian. Different paths for different people, and for my chosen path ensures that family history remains my escape or guilty pleasure, and my hobby.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Andrew for your valued opinion and like you have done, I have changed my viewpoint a few times over the years. Initially, I half-jokingly always referred to myself as an enthusiastic amateur, mainly to identify that I am not a paid professional, but I have come to realise that many amateurs have just as many skills as their professional counterparts, the only difference is that in many cases they might not make a living carrying out research. I always like to think of myself as more of a family historian, a tree without context is purely a set of dates and numbers.

      Like

      Reply

  26. From early days of exploring my own family history, mostly in the East End of London, I considered myself a family historian but since starting a business linking your family history to guided walks in the east End of London, which will involve exploring the client’s family history to plan the walk, I consider myself as genealogist.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Diane for your valued opinion and like many of us your view and opinion has altered and changed with your own levels of experience, which it does for many of us. I originally classed myself as an “Enthusiastic Amateur” but by using the phrase amateur it can imply something of less quality, which hopefully does not apply in my case. The majority of all my family lines are entrenched in the East End of London, in fact one of my latest blogs has a lot of references to the East End. Good luck with your business venture and if you want to send me a link I can add this to my list of affiliated websties.

      Like

      Reply

  27. I “label” myself as a semi-professional genealogist; meaning my work is on par with the pros but I don’t have the money to spend on credentials and maintaining memberships. I don’t charge for my work, never did, never will. But lately, I’ve been morphing into a family historian as my research led me to see that my family come from 2 very specific parts of my little world so I started (a month ago) to do One Place Studies for those 2 locations. And this made me realise how much more connected I actually am to those places. So, yeah, call me a Semi-professional Genealogist and Family Historian! (I’ll need bigger business cards! 😂)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I agree, there is no difference in the quality of the work between an amateur and a so called professional the difference can just be one charges for work whereas the other doesn’t. I am the same as you, have never charged and never will, have not formal qualifications and what I lack in knowledge hopefully I make up for with enthusiasm 😄

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  28. I’d call myself a nerd! Though in seriousness, I’d probably call myself a “family historian” because my background is history and I like learning about the social history of the area or the occupation or the religion etc. I am an amateur and I focus on my own family history, but I have helped a few friends along the way.
    Family refer to me as a genealogist which I find a little uncomfortable if I’m honest, especially when it’s “my relative is a genealogist” as it then starts the queries on whether I can look into other people’s trees for a fee. I don’t feel I have the qualification or enough background yet to have that label put on my shoulders.
    I am toying with the idea of taking it further, but the idea of having less time to research my own family history makes me a little sad haha. Maybe I need a few more years of sorting out my roots before sorting out anyone else’s.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I think how I see myself has evolved over the years and continues to evolve. I do think there is a defined line between just researching for yourself and being a paid professional, it’s not about the quality of the work it’s more about meeting required standards. I will never become a professional I have more than enough to keep me occupied tracing my own lot!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  30. I’m a little late to this post, but when I read I thought of a quote. So I want to call myself sennachie. Or remembracer.

    It was the sennachie who first told me I was special. He had come to teach my eldest brother, David. The sennachie is the holder of the family story, the keeper of the genealogy, the remembrancer of all that makes a clan or a family…
    — Barbara Erskine, The Ghost Tree , 2018

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  31. I generally say family history, in part, because i find genealogy so hard to spell! More seriously though I am musing on a shift to “heritage” rather than “history” as that better encompasses traditions, objects and places as well as people and recognises the legacy that I hope to create for future family members. Maybe “family heritage preserver”?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi Natasha many thanks for adding your thoughts to the debate. I do like the sound of “family heritage preserver”, that is definitely a new one for me! I think without the context of the how, why and where our ancestors lived and conducted their daily lives, we are left with little more than bare cold facts. It’s the context that helps to bring them to life.

      Like

      Reply

  32. Am I a family historian or a genealogist, that depends on the day of the week the time of day who I am talking to whether the sun is out etc., etc.? I jump between the two options at a tip of the hat. I may be doing family history one moment then have to slip into genealogy the next to trace so distant cousin who has just lifted his/her head above the parapet.
    However I am now also a geneticist since DNA has become accessible and databases available not only using DNA to discover matches but mapping segments of DNA to distant great grandparents to discover who different segments come from. If I had to choose one defining name, I would stick with Family Historian as apart from all the paper work and internet time I am also the curator of all the old family junk, sorry I mean treasures and artifacts.
    Cheers
    Guy

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I couldnt agree more with you Guy! Changing hats to suit every occasion is something that I do all the time. Writing is my passion, so quite often I wear the family historian or family story keeper hat, but on other occasions I might be looking at a pedigree for someone and slip into the Genealogist mode. I have sub consciously in my own mind always thought of a genealogist as a “professional”, but of course that’s not always the case. I certainly understand that professional researchers might need a different name to a mere amateur like myself! I do enjoy dabbling in the DNA field and have never thought about adding that to my repertoire of names, maybe I should add this to my armoury. As a collector of junk/heirlooms myself maybe we can also be Antiques Collectors as well!

      Like

      Reply

  33. I’m laughing a bit at your post, because my dad and were talking about “dead people” last night. That’s what he told my son when he called. My son was like What! lol. Since I was the only interested in the family history I inherited all the work my Grandmother and Aunt did by hand. I feel blessed to have services like Ancestry etc, but sometimes they confuse everything too.

    I feel like I am the Family Historian/Investigator. I not only have boxes of genealogy but I also have all of the old photos from my Grandmother’s side. Since my grandmother and I were close I feel a great responsibility to make sure all is protected, organized and shared with those family members that want it. This doesn’t make me a professional but I do feel I am more than an amateur.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Kendra, I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed the blog and my little injection of humour. I don’t think it matters too much really what we call ourselves unless we are charging for our services. I also think that our research targets and trails lead us off into different directions so an investigator is a good way of describing what we do! Somebody once suggested ‘Tomb Raider’ but I think that’s a bit too far!!

      Like

      Reply

      1. I agree about Tomb Raider. How ever the phrase “I think about Dead People” keeps running through my head. (chuckling) Since I was a teenager my grandmother’s grandparents have been a big part of life. I see pictures of them and wish I could have met them. The more I find out the rest of my family those folks become personal to me too. Does that make the Family Historian/Investigator “more” dedicated? I wonder if the folks who get paid for research feel a connection to stories they find.

        Thank you so much for post and response. I’ve just gotten back into the family history again. Trying to decide it some of the new connections I see are correct or not. Oy!

        Liked by 1 person

  34. Pingback: This week's crème de la crème - December 24, 2022 - Genealogy à la carteGenealogy à la carte

  35. Great topic, although I have studied at Uni, Family History and felt I was a Genealogist. I love being a record agent, finding records is what I consider to be my best attribute.
    I do call myself a Family Tree researcher as a lot of people don’t seem to understand the word Genealogist. I have a part time business that supports me in my early semi retirement. I’m in Australia.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks Anita for sharing with me your thoughts, it’s always good to get some different opinions form around the world. I don’t think it actually matters too much, unless we are a paid professional, what we actually call ourselves and I am sure at different times we are many different things, it’s an interesting discussion to see how everyone views themselves.

      Like

      Reply

  36. I love being a Family Tree Detective. The thrill of locating that missing piece of evidence in the ancestral mystery gives me the inspiration to write their story.
    So I am reinventing myself as the Downunder Essential Family History Detective. Maybe I should write some genealogy mystery books.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  37. i am the family mystery solver and history excavator and usually i am the one assigned the task of getting past a historical brick wall in the family and i have felt like i am moving that wall brick by brick to find what is missing and i am still running into brick walls on some lines others are as far as you can go and are solved.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  38. Hiya Paul. I think I started off as a genealogist. But I am now a family historian.
    I believe as you, that a genealogist collects pedigrees – collects names, dates, events and relationships.
    Family historians take the genealogy and flesh it out – adding meat to the bones. Researches peoples lives. The social history of the time.

    Even my professional job title is “family history specialist”

    Kind regards SEONAID @genebrarian

    Like

    Reply
  39. Pingback: BAVARIAN Hans MOSER c1623-1696 was from Austria, not Switzerland | Wheaton Wood

Leave a comment