Free 16+ Family Tree Templates and Charts (MS Word and PDF)

A family tree is a chart showing the basic hierarchy of all the members belonging to many generations of a particular family. The diagram helps the audience understand the relationship between the people who are members of that given family, starting from the ancestors down to the current descendants.

With that said, if you have no idea about your ancestors, and/or some relatives or distant members of your family, referring to your family tree can be an excellent way to educate yourself.

Below are various family tree examples and templates you can refer to get started. These FT examples and templates are in Word and PDF formats to make your work easier.

Simple Family Tree

Blank Family Tree

Example of a Family Tree

Family Tree Outline

Family History Chart

Family Tree or Pedigree Chart

Family Tree Generation Landscape

Types of Family Tree Templates

There are nine types of family tree templates with ancestor charts, descendant charts, and sandglass diagrams being the main templates. Ancestor charts display the ancestors of a person, whereas descendant charts show the descendants of a particular individual in descending order. The sandglass template, on the other hand, is a combination of the two prior templates above. Then we have the following sub-family tree templates;

• Five-Generation Ancestor Family Tree – Displays no more or less than five generations of a particular family lineage.
• Stepfamily Tree – Includes members who are not biologically linked to a given family lineage. The members are as a result of a step relationship(s) such as step-siblings, step-parents, etc.
• Biographical Family Tree – It’s a family tree that goes further to show the different biographies of the included individuals.
• Family Group Sheet – This is a family chart that shows the parents and children in one family with details about the names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths(if applicable) of the individuals in question.
• Relationship Chart – This chart shows how each member of a family tree is related to another.
• Adoptive Family Tree Chart – This chart helps viewers understand an individual’s biological as well as adoptive parents.

Ancestor Chart

Family Tree Chart 1

Family Tree Word

Generation Family Tree

Family Tree Chart 2

Modern Family Tree

Benefits of Understanding the Family Tree

There are a few benefits of knowing your family tree;

• It allows you to know your roots well and to connect to your heritage.
• It can enable you to trace the genetics and health concerns of your family lineage.
• Knowing your roots brings a sense of belonging.
• It can help you establish connections that can benefit you in many aspects of life, including career and so on.
• Knowing your family tree enables you to avoid unacceptable social acts such as incest.

Children Family Tree

Family Tree Chart 5

Wuthering Heights Family Tree

A family tree can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. It all depends on who you want to include in it. For example, a complicated family tree chart may include you, your siblings, your parents, your relatives, both close and distant(e.g. cousins, aunties, uncles, in-laws), your grandparents, your ancestors, and your great-great ancestors. A simple tree chart, on the other hand, may comprise of you, your siblings, your parents, your close relatives, and your grandparents.

Depending on who you want to include in the chart, the first step to making a family tree chart is to gather the necessary information about the people you want to feature. You can consult the people around you who you think may be of help, including your parents and senior relatives.

After that, the next step is to choose a template you would like to use. Remember that there are many different types of family tree chart templates from which to choose online. All you have to do is search for possible templates in the right places.

After you find a desirable template, fill in the blanks with the details you gathered earlier. Depending on the complexity of your chart, the details may include the names of your siblings, parents, relatives, and so on, not forgetting your name.

There are a few things that can otherwise hinder you from creating a useful family tree if not avoided. They include;

• Consulting with the wrong persons who may provide information that is not entirely accurate.
• Typos in names or dates inaccurately.
• Cooking up figures with regards to ages.
• Omitting family members just because you don’t like them or of any other factor.
• Including sensitive details belonging to your family members, such as their physical addresses, financial credentials, medical history, and so on.