Genealogical Brick Walls: What They Are and How to Get Around Them

If you have been working on your family tree long enough, more than likely, somewhere in your family tree branches, you have hit a brick wall.

What is a brick wall, you ask? They are those frustrating dead ends that prevent you from finding more records about an ancestor. Maybe the relative you’ve been researching was one of the many women who never had a nine-to-five job, so their names don’t pop up as often as their male counterparts. Maybe your ancestor was an immigrant, native, or enslaved person who lived their whole life below, or off, the radar of those keeping records.

The many reasons a brick wall can occur may range from a lack of surviving records to name changes or it exists simply because of inaccurate information. Just know that while brick walls can be incredibly discouraging, there are techniques you can use to break through them.

First, let’s start with some reasons why a brick wall can pop up during your ancestry research:

• Lack of Surviving Records:- Records may have been lost, destroyed by fires, floods, or other disasters, never kept in the first place, or not yet digitized/indexed.
• Name Changes — Ancestors may have changed their name, adopted an Americanized name after immigrating, used nicknames or aliases, etc., making them hard to trace.
• Inaccurate Information — Dates, names, and locations in records may contain errors.
• Adoptions — Adoptions or informal custodial arrangements can cover up biological parentage.
• Illegitimacy — Children born out of wedlock may have the mother’s maiden name, not the biological father’s. They may have been left as a foundling at a church and had a name picked for them by a nun.
• Migration — Ancestors moving to new areas can cause a loss of the paper trail.
• War — War and war-torn areas also account for the loss of documents.
• Common Names — Having the same common first and last name as many others makes ancestors difficult to distinguish.
• Surname Changes — Women taking a husband’s last name or other surname changes can lead to dead ends.
• Undocumented Immigrants — Immigrants before the late 1800s weren’t required to complete census or naturalization paperwork.

The number one thing you should do when you hit a brick is DON’T GIVE UP!

Second, while they can be frustrating, there are ways to get around a Brick Wall. Here are a few ideas:

• Search for alternate spellings and name variations. Our ancestors were not always literate, which means someone, not them, may have been writing their names down.
• Look for siblings, friends, neighbors, and associates who may lead to more information. Genealogy cannot be done properly in a vacuum. Look at your life. You have friends and family — these people are an extension of your life. Your ancestors were the same way. Search around them by learning about the people in their lives. This is called “cluster” or “collateral” genealogy.
• Broaden the search to different record groups like census, cemetery, military, employment, etc. Did you know that some funeral homes hold records? Or maybe your ancestor was a member of the Odd Fellows, an organization that kept records about its members.
• Research the location history and check records from each place an ancestor lived. Did you know that some cities/towns have books written about their citizens? Use Google Books to search where your ancestor lived (city name) and see what you find.
• Examine original records when possible since indexes may contain errors. I can’t express this enough. ORIGINAL RECORDS!! If you can gain access to them, they are the place to start. Indexes and other secondary sources can be incorrect.
• Take a DNA test that can break through brick walls by uncovering biological connections.
• Join a Facebook group created about the area you are researching. Did you know there are thousands of Genealogy Facebook Groups? Are you of Italian descent? There is a Facebook Group for you. Did you grow up in Ontario? There is a Facebook Group for you! Did you take a DNA Test and don’t understand your results — there is a genealogy Facebook Group for that, too. It’s an easy and free resource.

When and why should you hire a professional Genealogist? Here are a few:

• DNA testing has uncovered a mystery biological relationship. This happens more than you know! Secret relationships aren’t as secret these days with Genealogy DNA Testing. You may learn your paternal grandfather was not your biological grandfather. Hiring a professional can help you sort out the answers.
• You need someone with access to records not available online. Not everything is digitized! Sometimes, the only way to get the records you need is to go to the courthouse. Maybe you don’t live where your ancestors did. Hiring a local genealogist can help with the leg work.
• Your research time is limited. Let’s face it: Genealogy and Family History Research is time-consuming. It can be hard to find the time needed to build an accurate family tree. Hiring a professional is a great way to watch your family tree fill out and still have time in your day.
• You feel completely stuck, and a fresh set of expert eyes may help. Sometimes, it’s not a brick wall that gets in your way, and it’s the mound of probate files you have to read through — in Italian. Hiring a professional can help with this.

Hitting a brick wall isn’t the end of your Family History Research, and all family historians encounter brick walls from time to time. With creativity and persistence, you can overcome brick walls of all sizes, but sometimes, hiring a professional is the breakthrough you need or maybe even what you’ve been looking for this whole time.

Identifying genealogical brick walls and understanding their common causes is the first step in developing strategies to knock them down. While they can be frustrating, brick walls can be bypassed by exhausting all creative research avenues (cluster genealogy), collaborating with others (Facebook groups), and, when needed, hiring a professional.

With an open mind and some determination, those elusive ancestors might be found after all. I hope this post helps you along your Family History journey! Until next time, happy record hunting!!

(Check out last week’s post: Celebrating Grandparents and Preserving Their Legacy Through Family History. Follow my profile for alerts!)

Would you like more tips and tricks? Sign up for the Genealogy by Aryn monthly newsletter! Or, for weekly tips & tricks, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Looking for Family History Resources? Visit my Etsy shop for Family History Worksheets or Amazon for the newly published The Genealogy Journal.

Aryn is a Genealogy fanatic who explores family trees, cemeteries & history. With a decade of experience, she assists others in discovering their roots and helps track down records for those seeking dual citizenship.