A family history society or genealogical society is a

society A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. ...

, often

charitable Charity is the voluntary provision of assistance to those in need. It serves as a humanitarian act, and is unmotivated by self-interest. Various philosophies about charity exist, with frequent associations with religion. Etymology The word ...

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

, that allows member

genealogist Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their Lineage (anthropology), lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family ...

s and family historians to profit from shared knowledge. Large societies often own libraries, sponsor research seminars and foreign trips, and publish journals. Some societies concentrate on a specific niche, such as the family history of a particular geographical area,

ethnicity An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they Collective consciousness, collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, ...

nationality Nationality is the legal status of belonging to a particular nation, defined as a group of people organized in one country, under one legal jurisdiction, or as a group of people who are united on the basis of culture. In international law, n ...

, or

religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...

. Lineage societies, also called hereditary societies, are societies that limit their membership to descendants of a particular person or group of people of historical importance. Nobility associations gather persons who belong to a country's

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

under current or historical law and can prove it.

National and international societies

* American Society of Genealogists * Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) (UK) * Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) (US) * Genealogical and Heraldic Office of Belgium * Guild of One-Name Studies (UK) *

National Genealogical Society The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is a genealogical interest group founded in 1903 in Washington, D.C., United States, with over 10,000 members. Its headquarters are in Falls Church, Virginia. The goals of the organization are to promote gen ...

(NGS) (US) *

Society of Genealogists The Society of Genealogists (SoG) is a UK-based educational charity, founded in 1911Fowler, S School of Advanced Study, University of London. Date unknown. Retrieved 2011-10-30. to "promote, encourage and foster the study, science and knowledge ...

(UK) * Genealogical Society of South Africa

Regional societies

Australia

* Australian Jewish Genealogical Society *

Queensland Family History Society The Queensland Family History Society (QFHS) is an incorporated association formed in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. History The society was established in 1979 as a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political organisation. They aim to promo ...

* Royal Historical Society of Queensland * Society of Australian Genealogists

Canada

New Brunswick Genealogical Society The New Brunswick Genealogical Society (NBGS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 and dedicated to historical genealogical research in New Brunswick, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of ...

* Ontario Genealogical Society

England

* Buckinghamshire Family History Society * Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society * Cleveland Family History Society * East Yorkshire Family History Society * East Surrey Family History Society * Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society * Northumberland and Durham Family History Society * Suffolk Family History Society * Sussex Family History Group (covering East and West Sussex) * Upper Dales Family History Group * Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Family History Section

Ireland

* Genealogical Society of Ireland * Clans of Ireland

Scotland

* Borders Family History Society * Scottish Association of Family History Societies – a

federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

of around 30 regional and local FHSes throughout

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

South Africa

* Genealogical Society of South Africa

United States

* California Genealogical Society and Library * Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania * Genealogical Society of Utah *

New England Historic Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, scholarship, website,New York Genealogical and Biographical Society The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B or NYGBS) is a non-profit institution located at 36 West 44th Street in New York City. Founded in 1869, it is the second-oldest genealogical society in the United States, and the only stat ...

* Utah Genealogical Association (UGA)

Ethnic societies

* American-French Genealogical Society *

International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, Inc. (IAJGS) is an independent non-profit umbrella organization coordinating the activities and annual Convention (meeting), conference of 84 Jewish Family history society, genealogica ...

* Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain

Nobility associations

* CILANE, which includes, among others, the following: ** Croatian Nobility Association ** Danish Nobility Association ** Finnish House of Nobility ** Réunion de la Noblesse Pontificale **

Corpo della Nobiltà Italiana The ''Corpo della nobiltà italiana'' (Italian, 'Body of the Italian Nobility'), sometimes referred to as CNI, is a private association established in 1957 to protect heraldic and nobility rights of Italian nobles after the republican constitu ...

** Swedish House of Nobility * Russian Nobility Association in America * Polish Nobility Association * Kasumi Kaikan

References

External links

List of UK and Ireland Family History & Genealogy Societies
(Genuki)
Federation of Family History Societies: List of Member Societies

List of UK Family History Societies
(My Family Ancestors) {{Authority control * *