Family tree sites:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Ancestry was the most searched family tree site worldwide, accounting for 39.7% of all searches among the five sites we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Ancestry and FamilySearch showed up in every answer. Ancestry was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five responses.
AncestryShare of searches 39.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
FamilySearchShare of searches 32.4%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
MyHeritageShare of searches 21.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
23andMeShare of searches 5.3%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
FindmypastShare of searches 0.88%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top family tree sites in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ancestry and FamilySearch appeared every time. Ancestry was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five answers. FamilySearch was second, and MyHeritage was third. 23andMe, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Ancestry1st
- FamilySearch2nd
- MyHeritage3rd
- Findmypast4th
- 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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which family tree site should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best family tree sites?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best family tree site for tracing ancestors?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“family tree sites”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best genealogy sites”
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 do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each family tree site by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five family tree sites we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
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
| Month | Ancestry | FamilySearch | MyHeritage | 23andMe | Findmypast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 38% | 31% | 20.7% | 9.3% | 1% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.2% | 29.6% | 24.3% | 8.9% | 0.98% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.4% | 25.7% | 25.7% | 9.4% | 0.85% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.8% | 30.1% | 24.7% | 7.4% | 0.99% |
| Feb 2026 | 41% | 27.5% | 22.3% | 8.2% | 0.91% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.6% | 29.1% | 19.4% | 7.2% | 0.79% |
| Apr 2026 | 36.6% | 36.6% | 19.9% | 6% | 0.81% |
| May 2026 | 39.2% | 32.1% | 21.4% | 6.4% | 0.87% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.7% | 27.9% | 22.7% | 6.8% | 0.92% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.2% | 32.1% | 21.4% | 6.4% | 0.87% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.6% | 32.4% | 21.6% | 5.3% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.7% | 32.4% | 21.6% | 5.3% | 0.88% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 39.7% | 2.2M | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 32.4% | 1.8M | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 21.6% | 1.2M | 0% | 0 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 5.3% | 301K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 0.88% | 49.5K | -18.2% | -0.2 points |
1.
Ancestry39.7%
Held 1st. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
32.4%
Held 2nd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
21.6%
Held 3rd. 1.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
4.
23andMe5.3%
Held 4th. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.88%
Held 5th. 49.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among family tree sites worldwide?
5 brands
In September 2026, Ancestry was the most searched among family tree sites worldwide, with an estimated 2.2M branded searches, 39.7% of all searches for the five we track. FamilySearch is in 2nd place, 7.3 percentage points behind at 32.4%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancestry | 38% → 39.7% | 43.6%Mar 2026 | 36.2%Nov 2025 | 1st |
| FamilySearch | 31% → 32.4% | 36.6%Apr 2026 | 25.7%Dec 2025 | 2nd |
| MyHeritage | 20.7% → 21.6% | 25.7%Dec 2025 | 19.4%Mar 2026 | 3rd |
| 23andMe | 9.3% → 5.3% | 9.4%Dec 2025 | 5.3%Aug 2026 | 4th |
| Findmypast | 1% → 0.88% | 1.1%Aug 2026 | 0.79%Mar 2026 | 5th |
Each finding as a sentence
- 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, FamilySearch’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide increased from 31% to 32.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MyHeritage’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide increased from 20.7% to 21.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, 23andMe’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide decreased from 9.3% to 5.3%.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, FamilySearch’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide peaked at 36.6% in April 2026 and was lowest at 25.7% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MyHeritage’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide peaked at 25.7% in December 2025 and was lowest at 19.4% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, 23andMe’s share of searches among family tree sites worldwide peaked at 9.4% in December 2025 and was lowest at 5.3% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Findmypast held steady: its share of searches among family tree sites worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for family tree sites worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
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.
Estimated monthly branded searches for 23andMe worldwide fell 45.3% over 12 measured months, from 550K to 301K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Findmypast worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in September 2026.
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