Embrace Your Family Heritage: 13 Great Gifts to Learn More About Family History

The perfect gift is something that embodies the recipient. It touches upon their passions, sparking joy and excitement with its meaning and the thought that went into choosing it. For the family historians in your life, choosing genealogy gifts meant to help them research, understand, organize, and preserve their heritage can be some of the most meaningful. For those who are interested in their past and bringing their families together, but don’t know where to start, these gifts can also serve as a stepping stone into ancestral research. They help to complete the story of who your loved ones are, crafting and tracing their heritage.

Ancestry^® can help bridge generations and reveal stories of lives long since lived—but not lost—just waiting to be uncovered. That’s why an Ancestry gift membership or an AncestryDNA kit have become such coveted gifts amongst those interested in learning more about their families. 

If your loved one already has these, there are myriad gift ideas just waiting to be discovered. These gifts are perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to gift-giving holidays, and are sure to spark a new generation of genealogy lovers.

Memory and Preservation Gifts: Family memories may be simple moments in time, but to those who experienced them, they’re precious and deserve to be honored. For future generations, those preserved memories become part of their family’s story; they’re ways to look back and connect to the lives of their relatives.

Genealogy gift ideas such as customizable photo albums, scrapbooks, and memory boxes offer the chance to cultivate those family memories into cherished keepsakes. An engraved photo frame or family history binder can become a beloved family heirloom, capturing family moments to be shared across generations.

Genealogy Books: If you’re searching for meaningful genealogy Christmas gifts, it’s hard to go wrong with a book. From guidebooks to memoirs and historical novels, there’s a lot to gain from these texts. Some may provide key insights into genealogical research techniques, helping the recipient discover more about their family tree. Others can inspire the recipient while fostering a deeper connection to their family heritage and culture. Try some of these books if you’re looking to round out your gifts with books this year:

• Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide by Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer
• Revelation: A Memoir of Deep Family Secrets, Discovery, and Identity by Richard Gary Kaye and Annette Schwarz Kaye
• Tracing Your Ancestors from 1066 to 1837 by Jonathan Oates
• The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland
• A Recipe for Writing Family History by Devon Noel Lee and Andrew Lee

Memberships and Software: Membership and software subscription gifts, such as Ancestry, are go-to options for the technologically inclined and are user-friendly enough for new genealogists who have just discovered their passion for family history. Ancestry has the most expansive collection of online family history records, which can provide insight to both novice and veteran family researchers and can be used to create collaborative family trees on the platform. Family trees on Ancestry can provide hints to potential relatives as they branch off and overlap with other people’s research around the world. It’s even possible to connect to other public family trees, which may help your loved one locate lost relatives. Using tools from Ancestry, family mysteries can be unlocked.

Research On-the-Go: With the Ancestry mobile app, users can connect with AncestryDNA features and upload photos and share stories from their phones. Your loved one can use Ancestry Memories, a suite of tools in the Ancestry app that makes sharing family stories a breeze.

Genealogy Gifts for the Home Office: The home office is the perfect setting for personalized desk accessories and stationery that can transform a workspace into a haven of family heritage. A family tree chart can be a source of inspiration while working. Wall art featuring family crests and coats of arms can add a touch of family history. Vintage map prints showcasing your family’s roots and travels add a hint of intrigue and make for exciting personal conversation pieces.

Unique Family History Gifts: If you’re not creatively inclined, there’s always the option of commissioning unique genealogy gifts, such as inspired artwork or custom maps online from talented artists. You can collaborate with your artist to ensure it’s exactly what you’re looking for, from custom-made prints of relatives to professional, heirloom-quality family recipe books.

Holiday Gifts for Genealogists: Genealogy-themed keychains, bookmarks, and notebooks can all be custom-ordered and created with ease. Display meaningful family symbols or designs associated with your loved one’s heritage on a small token of your affection. Opt for a custom-made journal with your loved one’s name emblazoned on it that can be used to record information discovered during research. A photo charm bracelet could keep photos of loved ones close, or a personalized mug to keep their drink of choice warm during long hours of family research could bring a smile to their face.

Practical Gifts for Genealogists: Some gift recipients may prefer practical gifts to support their exploration of family history, such as external hard drives to store archives of documents, photos, and other research-related digital documents. Other useful items include those meant to preserve delicate documents and photographs, such as acid-free photo albums that will protect older photos from fading or damage or preservation kits. Digitization services can also help back up physical photos and documents.

Virtual Gift Ideas for Genealogists: Some of the best gifts are those that don’t take up any physical space at all. Opt for online genealogy courses that new and experienced family researchers alike can benefit from, or send your loved one off on a virtual tour through historical sites. Those looking to connect with other like-minded individuals may find an interactive family history platform subscription, like one to Ancestry, useful for networking and connecting with others.

Inexpensive Gifts for Genealogists: Family history gifts don’t have to break the bank, and in many cases, a personalized, handmade gift can be all the more meaningful. Homemade gifts, like recorded interviews family recipes that have been passed down through the generations transcribed onto notecards, or a handwritten story or letter can create a piece of living history for future generations to enjoy. The only cost to cultivate these gifts is the materials, which you probably already have on hand.

DNA and Genetic Genealogy Gifts: One of the quickest ways to delve into personal genealogy is through the use of a DNA test and analysis. With AncestryDNA your loved one can discover a detailed breakdown of their ethnicity and familial origins, including geographical locations most likely associated with their genetic makeup. They can also connect to other DNA relatives, making AncestryDNA a particularly valuable tool for finding long-lost family connections. Another intriguing gift idea is the Know Your Pet DNA by Ancestry^® test kit, which extends DNA analysis to your loved one’s dogs. It can uncover a breakdown of breeds, traits, and other fascinating information about their best canine companion.

Family Tree Chart Gifts: A custom family tree chart can be a beautiful addition to home decor or a family history collection. Left blank, the recipient can lovingly fill in all the branches with the fruits of their research.  They come in numerous styles and designs to fit any taste, from minimalist to looking like an ancient document with calligraphy filled in. One of these gifts can visually represent your loved one’s family history and lineage in a way they’ll love marveling at.

Heritage Travel Tours: Visiting ancestral homelands and historical landmarks on a heritage travel tour is one of the most poignant ways to connect to your family’s past, and this gift of a lifetime can provide important memories and glimpses into what life was like for your ancestors. With AncestryProGenealogists^®, all the planning and legwork is done for you. Skilled researchers can delve into your loved one’s history, digging up relevant records and assisting with filling in family trees. This leaves your loved one free to enjoy the immersive dive into their heritage and ancestral homelands.

Genealogy-Related Gifts for Kids and Families: Children can get involved and learn about their family history to help keep it alive for generations to come. Younger genealogists may find themselves enthralled with family tree gifts, such as activity books, board games, and genealogy kits that help them bring their heritage to life and explore the stories of their past while also sparking a lifelong love for their family’s history. 

Foster Genealogical Research and Family Connections This Gift-Giving Season With Ancestry

Your family’s story has culminated in you. From travels across continents and oceans to marriages and family traditions, the choices your ancestors made have directly contributed to the life you live today. Honoring those decisions, stories, and lifetimes is just one way to pay respects to those who came before you, and spreading that reverence for the past to others through genealogy-related gifts can help your loved ones discover their own stories.

When you gift a loved one a product from Ancestry, whether it’s an AncestryDNA kit, an AncestryProGenealogists experience, or a subscription to the Ancestry platform, you help them uncover their roots. You provide the foundation for them to delve into history headfirst by helping them explore DNA results or sift through billions of family history records available

Choosing these thoughtful genealogy gifts is certain to resonate and foster newfound stories and connections that become gifts that keep on giving to future generations. You can start a free trial with Ancestry to begin preserving the memories and stories of your past.