Press Releases

Forget shopping and blogging, the latest online craze is genealogy. The family history market has exploded, last month accounting for over one in ten internet users according to new figures from comScore Europe.

The entire family history category received over 4 million visitors last month, almost double the 2.2 million visitors recorded in July 2005. This represents a rapid 84% surge in interest in genealogy websites in just six months.

Ancestry.co.uk is leading this explosion of interest and has now been ranked as the seventh fastest growing website in the UK, a higher position than Amazon.com and Apple.com.

The site receives over half the total audience share in the family history category, with over 2 million unique visitors recorded in February 2006, widening its position as the UK’s market leader.

With family history shows such as the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? and the increased availability of census records on line, tracing your family tree has never been more popular. Ancestry.co.uk itself has the largest on line record collection in the UK and is the only site with free access to the birth, marriage and death index.

Josh Hanna, Managing Director of Ancestry.co.uk, commented: “These new figures are proof that the genealogy phenomenon is set to continue. We know that the internet has made family history research a lot easier and now genealogy themed TV shows have helped show that everyone can have a go. As a genealogist and family history enthusiast, I’m thrilled that people can go to one place like Ancestry.co.uk, try family history research for free and find their parents, grandparents or even themselves and see how simple it is to start tracing back."

Bob Ivins, Managing Director of comScore Europe, commented: “The genealogy category has experienced an exceptional growth over the last twelve months, few other categories on the internet can say that. I feel it is proof of the great opportunities that still exist online. The fact that Ancestry.co.uk is growing faster than the family history category itself indicates their leading role within the industry and their ability to drive its increasing popularity."

About Ancestry.co.uk:
Ancestry.co.uk is the most popular online resource for family history in the UK offering the largest and most accessible collection of original UK records, previously only available by trawling through records offices. Offering unparalleled easy access to these records, Ancestry.co.uk gives you access to your family’s history in the comfort of your own home.

Ancestry.co.uk is the only UK website that has the complete collection of six censuses online from 1851 to 1901 and birth, marriage and death records from 1837 to the present. Ancestry offers free access to the birth, marriage and death index (1837-the present) while other sites charge up to £50 for access to these records.

Ancestry.co.uk is part of the MyFamily network of websites. MyFamily.com, Inc. is the leading online network connecting families, present and past. MyFamily’s tools, content and community empower individuals to find the people most important to them — and discover and share their unique family stories. The MyFamily network includes MyFamily.com, Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com and RootsWeb.com. MyFamily also publishes Family Tree Maker®, the #1 selling family tree software, Who Do You Think You Are Family Tree Maker, Ancestry Magazine, Genealogical Computing Magazine, over 50 book titles and numerous databases on CD-ROM.