The availability of several free applications for viewing geographic data has led to a growing interest in the use of this technology by
genealogists and family history researchers.
The ability to share
keyhole markup language (KML) files through sites such as
Google Maps means that researchers can find matches based on geographic location rather than just a place name.
Family tree mapping applications
Genealogy software that can be used for family tree mapping include:[1]
Utility applications that can be used for family tree mapping include:
AniMap- contains historical maps that show the changing county boundaries[4]
Centennia Historical Atlas - the map forward or backward in time from the year 1000 to present.[5]
Family Atlas - a
Windows application that imports data from genealogy software for mapping with its own internal maps.[6]
Map My Ancestors (as of 3 October 2011 this application was withdrawn from sale and no longer available, due to closure of Yahoo Mapping services see the source site for details) - a
Windows application that imports
GEDCOM files or
comma-separated values (CSV) files and converts them to
keyhole markup language (KML) files for viewing with KML compatible programs such as
Google Earth or
Google Maps.
Map My Family Tree - a
Windows application that imports data directly from a number of popular
Genealogy programs. The program uses its own location database to resolve places from the source family tree. Viewing data is generally undertaken from within the program using the internal viewer but individual placemarks can be viewed using
Google Earth,
Google Maps,
TerraServer-USA or
MapQuest.[7]