New York Descendancy Research

Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked. Federal Censuses - State Censuses

For more information on census records, see New York Census and United States Census.

Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in New York statewide beginning in 1880, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.


 * 1716-1914: New York State Religious Records at Findmypast; images only ($)
 * 1809-1850: 10,000 Vital Records of Western New York at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1875-1916: at FamilySearch; index and images

Births
 * 1640-1962: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1660-1862: New York Baptisms at Findmypast; index only ($)
 * 1704-1962: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1878-1909: New York, New York Extracted Birth Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1879-1909: New York City Birth Index at SteveMorse.org
 * 1881-1942: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1881-1942: New York State Birth Index at Ancestry; index & images, ($); Also at Internet Archive; MyHeritage ($)

Marriages
 * pre-1699: American Marriages at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * pre-1784: Names of persons for whom marriage licenses were issued by the secretary of the province of New York at FamilySearch; eBook; Also at Ancestry ($)
 * 1600-1784: New York Marriages Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1639-1962: US Marriages – New York at Findmypast; index & images, ($)
 * 1686-1980: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1800-1855: New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1801-1880: New York Marriage Newspaper Extracts (Barber Collection) at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1847-1848; 1908-1936: at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($)
 * 1864-1937: New York City Marriage Indexes - Groom at SteveMorse.org
 * 1864-1937: New York City Marriage Indexes - Bride at SteveMorse.org
 * 1866-1937: New York, New York Extracted Marriage Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1868-1871: New Canaan [CT Era: Marriages and Deaths in New York State] at AmericanAncestors; index only, ($)
 * 1881-1967: New York State, Marriage Index at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1907-2018: New York, New York Marriage License Indexes at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1950-1995: at FamilySearch; index only
 * New York Marriages Index at GenLookups

Deaths 
 * 1758-1862: New York Deaths and Burials at Findmypast; index only ($)
 * 1795-1952: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1801-1890: New York, Death Newspaper Extracts (Barber Collection) at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1824-1962: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1835-1880: New York City Death Notices at Findmypast; index only ($)
 * 1852-1956: New York Death Index at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1862-1948: New York, New York Extracted Death Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1868-1871: New Canaan [CT Era: Marriages and Deaths in New York State] at AmericanAncestors; index only, ($)
 * 1880-1955: New York State Death Index at Findmypast; index only ($)
 * 1880-1956: at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1957-1963: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1957-1969: New York States Deaths at MyHeritage; index only ($)
 * 1962 forward: at FamilySearch; index only

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in New York, see How to Find New York Birth Records, How to Find New York Marriage Records, and How to Find New York Death Records.

Step 3: '''Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1880. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers. - Obituaries
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * New York Obituaries, by county
 * Archives.com Obituaries for New York ($)
 * Newspaper Obituary collection for New York: starts about 2003 to present ($)
 * ProQuest Obituaries for New York($)
 * Ancestry.com United States Obituary Collection for New York ($)
 * Genealogy Buff New York
 * Buffalo History Museum Obituary Index 1811-1986

Cemeteries
 * Find-A-Grave
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
 * Billion Graves
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
 * Western New York Burial Records at Forest Lawn
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * New York State Cemetery Abstracts at Findmypast ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * New York Cemeteries at The Cemetery Site
 * New York Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
 * New York Cemetery Records at Interment
 * New York Cemetery Records at New Horizons Genealogy
 * New York Gravestones
 * New York: Long Island Cemetery Inscriptions, 1652-1910 at American Ancestors ($)
 * New York: Records of Burials in the Dutch Church, 1727-1803 at American Ancestors ($)
 * New York Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
 * Online New York Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
 * Jewish Cemeteries in New York at Find-A-Grave
 * Hebrew Cemeteries in New York at Find-A-Grave
 * New York, Hebrew Burial Records (HFBA), Silver Lake and Mount Richmond Cemeteries, 1899-1991 at Ancestry ($)
 * New York Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project

For more information, see New York Obituaries and New York Cemeteries.

Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants.
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * New York, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * New York, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Step 5: Search any other online records listed in New York Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the New York Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * New York Online Genealogy Records