New
Just released:
1926 Census of the Irish Free State§

Could your roots run through Irish soil? Newly released after 100 years, the 1926 Census of Ireland opens up the years after the formation of the Irish Free State between WWI and WWII. Explore your ancestors’ names, ages, relationships, birthplace, religion and more today.

  • Names, ages, homes and occupations, all in one place
  • A rare 1926 snapshot, newly available
  • See your ancestor’s name in their own handwriting

For anyone starting with a name, it could be the missing link, showing where it appears, who carried it, and how lives were changing at a pivotal moment in history.

Was my name always like this?

Turn your questions into answers with Ancestry. Explore billions of records to uncover how your name has changed, travelled and evolved across generations.

Your name might feel fixed.
History says otherwise.

Names weren't always set in stone

  • Spelling wasn’t standardised before the late 1800s
  • Names were written as they sounded
  • Accents and dialects reshaped them over time

It might hide a meaning

  • O’ / Ó → descendant of
  • Mac / Mc → son of
  • Fitz → son of (from fils de)

It didn’t always come from family

  • Some surnames came from jobs → Taylor, Smith, Butler,
  • Some came from places → Brook, Hill, Wood
  • In some families, names changed every generation

How to get started

How to get started

  • Step 1
    Add what you know. Every detail helps.

  • Step 2
    Look for a Hint leaf.
    Hints do the searching for you.

  • Step 3
    Explore your hint.
    You could discover something new.

  • Step 4
    Grow your tree.
    We add an average of 10 million records every day.

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    Lengra (Australia)

  • "This has been the most incredible journey for me, finding out so much about past generations and so much more than one could ever imagine."

    Shirley Currie (Australia)

  • “It is so interesting and have found out a lot but still have more to find out. I am really happy to be able to get this information as my grandmother was not well, and she did tell us things and I’d love to confirm them if I could.”

    Pearl Gluck (Australia)