American Ancestors

American Ancestors serves more than 400,000 members and millions of online users engaged in family history nationally and around the world through its website AmericanAncestors.org with more than one billion names in its databases.

Located in Boston’s Back Bay, American Ancestors is home to a worldclass research center and archive, an expert staff, and the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center. It maintains a publishing division that produces original genealogical research, scholarship, and educational materials, including the Register, the flagship journal of American genealogy since 1847, and American Ancestors, its award-winning magazine.

With a mission to advance the study of family history in America and beyond, we educate, inspire, and connect people through our scholarship, collections, and expertise. We strive to connect with our members and the public in personally meaningful ways, serving as  respected expert genealogists and historians who care deeply about helping people.