How to search for your biological relatives

Finding people online can be a tricky task, especially when the aim is to reunite with biological relatives. Blockers are put in place following an adoption process, and what doesn’t help is that usually, it is a one-way search.

There is a handful of successful ways of finding your biological parents or siblings online. And there are many considerations within each method to be mindful of.

So, you will be itching to know how to find people online…

What you need to know

Firstly, stop and consider what you already know. Whether these are some basic details or possible information overheard as a child. If you happen to have a photo, or at the end of your searching have acquired a photo – try a reverse image search.

Secondly, be sure to also talk to those who may be able to help with information. You could start with i.e. adopted parents or siblings. You also may be able to request your adoption records. Even your original birth certificate can give you the basic information you need.

However, with regard to taking matters into your own hands, you should look to search for people online…

Key websites to use

Searching for your biological relatives yourself involves no outside help, phone calls or traveling, and yet – is still probably your best chance of success…

…not to mention the time and money you will save!

The following websites are essential for finding long-lost relatives online – but be sure to stay tuned for our final recommendation…

PeopleRecords.co.uk

This is a huge database of files and a fantastic source for you to utilize. This can be a great starting point but the problem is that you may find limited information and be able to proceed no further.

Ancestry.co.uk

This is a well-known website for tracing family history but slightly outside of the box in the respect of finding your biological parents. Although Ancestry.co.uk can link profiles to birth, death and marriage certificates – it is the users that piece family trees together. Thus, what you may find may not be 100% accurate and should be treated with some level of cautiousness. Ancestry.co.uk is better deployed for tracing your roots back to the 15th century to see if you were related to royalty… one step at a time, right?

FamilyLives.org.uk
This is another good platform to use based on the premise that Family Lives is specific to finding and contacting your birth parents and biological relatives. Their platform may not be as large or effective as the previous two recommendations, but it is a tool that should be utilized – as a process of elimination at the very least.

And above all else…

Perform a people check

This by far is the most effective and reliable method, and probably your best chance of finding your biological relatives online.

An online people search will allow you to search for everything that is possibly available to you in one click – known addresses, contact information, and many other useful records.

If your people search hasn’t brought the results you expected, extend it to other countries. Start with the English-speaking ones, e.g., the USA. By using American people search engines, you might be able to find everything you need on the person you are looking for.

Keep in mind that you will need your relatives’ names. So, if you are starting from scratch – be sure to use the recommended websites above, as you should be able to track down some basic information at the very least.

Once you have the name and any other information, try a few people searches to dig into searching for your relatives a little deeper.

Again… the time and money you can save from a few searches and a few clicks is astonishing!

Final thoughts

Finding your relatives online, if you have not already attempted to do so – is one of the trickiest things you could set yourself out to do. Finding people online is best deployed by yourself.

The websites we have recommended to use are great starting points, but they are not guaranteed to give you everything you need (if any at all) so performing a people check is the best chance you have of finding your long-lost relatives.

Once you have found the information you need, perhaps even some contact details – be sure to obtain the appropriate permission to get in touch!

And remember – your biological relatives may have moved to another country. So, if you have no luck tracking them down after using the above websites, then it may point to their immigration. Be sure to use US, Australian and Canadian search engines as a starting point.

We sincerely hope to have helped you track down your biological relatives and to have facilitated your journey.

The editorial unit