When researching a specific surname line, we investigate the ancestors bearing that name from either the paternal or maternal side (or both). For example, in the case of the married couple István Horváth and Mária Kovács, we would research the Horváth line on the paternal side and the Kovács line on the maternal side.
Typically, each generation is represented by a married couple and their details (dates and locations of birth, death, and marriage). Many researchers expand this to include data on all the couple’s children, though we only trace the lineage of the specific child who is part of the ancestral line being studied. In most cases, this expanded version involves a vast number of names and details, given that families prior to the 20th century often had as many as eight to ten children.
This is not a classic family tree, as we do not research or display the ancestors of the women who married into the family.
