Brandwave

How popular isAncestry?

In September 2026, people searched for Ancestry by name about 2.7 million times worldwide, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 39.7% of all global family tree site searches, placing Ancestry first out of five sites. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about family tree sites, Ancestry appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the five.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Ancestry is the most searched of 5 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. AncestryShare of searches 39.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. FamilySearchShare of searches 32.4%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. MyHeritageShare of searches 21.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. 23andMeShare of searches 5.3%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. FindmypastShare of searches 0.88%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
Ancestry website (opens in a new tab)

Follow Ancestry and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Top family tree sites in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ancestry appeared in all five answers. Ancestry is the most recommended of the five.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Ancestry1st
  2. FamilySearch2nd
  3. MyHeritage3rd
  4. Findmypast4th
  5. 23andMe–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Ancestry5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • FamilySearch5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • MyHeritage4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Findmypast3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • 23andMe0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about family tree sites

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Which family tree sites compete with Ancestry?

Ancestry against family tree sites worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, 23andMe. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAncestryFamilySearchMyHeritage23andMeFindmypast
Oct 202538%31%20.7%9.3%1%
Nov 202536.2%29.6%24.3%8.9%0.98%
Dec 202538.4%25.7%25.7%9.4%0.85%
Jan 202636.8%30.1%24.7%7.4%0.99%
Feb 202641%27.5%22.3%8.2%0.91%
Mar 202643.6%29.1%19.4%7.2%0.79%
Apr 202636.6%36.6%19.9%6%0.81%
May 202639.2%32.1%21.4%6.4%0.87%
Jun 202641.7%27.9%22.7%6.8%0.92%
Jul 202639.2%32.1%21.4%6.4%0.87%
Aug 202639.6%32.4%21.6%5.3%1.1%
Sep 202639.7%32.4%21.6%5.3%0.88%

  1. 1.Ancestry

    39.7%

    Held 1st. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  2. 2.FamilySearch

    32.4%

    Held 2nd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  3. 3.MyHeritage

    21.6%

    Held 3rd. 1.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.23andMe

    5.3%

    Held 4th. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Findmypast

    0.88%

    Held 5th. 49.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

Compare popularity between Ancestry and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Ancestry

7 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Ancestry changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Ancestry worldwide held steady at 2.7M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ancestry’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide increased from 38% to 39.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ancestry’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide peaked at 43.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 36.2% in November 2025.

How did search popularity change for family tree sites worldwide in September 2026?

3 changes

  1. FamilySearch’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 27.9% to 32.4% in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for 23andMe worldwide fell 45.3% over 12 measured months, from 550K to 301K in September 2026.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Findmypast worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in September 2026.

How are Ancestry’s branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ancestry’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • ancestry
  • ancestry dna
  • ancestrydna

Do you work for Ancestry? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Ancestry compete?

Ancestry is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Family tree sites1st of 539.7%Shown above
DNA test kit brands1st of 650%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Ancestry your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

Start free