One of the questions I hear most often from people researching their French ancestors is: “Do I need to speak French to do French genealogy?”

The answer is no.

While some knowledge of French is certainly helpful, most genealogists quickly discover that French records use many recurring words, dates, occupations, family relationships, and administrative terms. Once you become familiar with this vocabulary, reading French records becomes much less intimidating.

To help you along the way, I have organized this glossary into several sections covering the words and expressions most commonly found in French genealogical research. Simply choose a topic below and explore at your own pace.

If you come across French genealogical words or expressions that you struggle with and don’t see included here, please reach out. This glossary is meant to grow with the questions you encounter.