If you are looking for a family tree gift for your favourite genealogist, or you are a family historian who wants to share some of the joy of their research with others, then there are some great options for every budget. Whether you are looking for a Christmas gift, a birthday present or you just want to say 'thank you', here are our favourite suggestions that will put a smile on any family historian's face.
Family tree gifts under £20
Treat someone to a Cousin Explainer tea towel
- Buy now from Present Indicative, £11.95
This tea towel is the perfect gift for anyone who has ever wondered what a second cousin once removed is. Practical and useful - we love it!
Buy a historic Ordnance Survey map
- Buy now from Ordnance Survey, £11.99
Family historians love maps so why not gift the family historian in your life with a historic map. These ones from the Ordnance Survey date from 1896-1904 and measure 53.5cm x 40.5cm.
Give a book to the family historian in your life
- Buy now from Pen and Sword, from £6.99
- Buy now from Waterstones, from £12.99
Pop a genealogy book into someone’s Christmas stocking this year. Pen & Sword has a wide range of specialist family history guides in the 'Tracing Your Ancestors' series, covering all areas of family history, with digital books starting at £6.99 and physical books starting at around £12.99. Other publishers with books aimed at family historians include the Family History Federation, which has a very useful online bookshop and the Society of Genealogists, which also has a bookshop on its website. You can find family history books from a range of publishers in The National Archives' online bookshop. Waterstones also has a great selection of family history books and memoirs (click the link above to go straight to their collection).
Suffragette Xmas tree decoration
- Buy now from The National Archives Shop, £14.99
Who wouldn’t want this Suffragette hanging from their Christmas tree this year? We also love their Jane Austen tree decoration. The National Archives shop has lots of other stocking fillers for family historians, from pencils and notebooks to family history books and maps.
Genealogy mug
- Buy now from All Things Genealogy on Etsy, £19.99
Declare your love of genealogy as you sip your favourite brew. There are lots of mugs for family historians out there, but we rather like the ones on the All Things Genealogy shop on Etsy as they come with free delivery to UK addresses.
Family tree gifts under £50
Gift a whole year of Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine
- Buy now from Our Media, £44.99
Gifting a magazine subscription gives joy every month, not just at Christmas. Our gift option means you can buy a one-off subscription of 13 issues without it auto-renewing. The family historian in your life will be thrilled to get the UK's leading genealogy magazine under their tree as it will inspire them and keep them up-to-date with the latest family history news all year!
Gift a DNA test kit
- Buy now from MyHeritage, special offer from £27 plus shipping
- Buy now from Ancestry, special offer from £34 plus shipping
MyHeritage are the first commercial DNA testing company to offer Whole Genome Sequencing and they have been discounting their DNA kit heavily this season (it's currently only £27, but be quick as that offer is likely to expire soon) so if you are thinking about testing and have a tight budget, then this is an excellent option.
Ancestry’s DNA test kit is a great choice for family historians as they still have the largest database, meaning you are more likely to get matches. Normally priced at £79, this current offer of £34 runs all the way up to Christmas.
Can't decide which one to get? See our review of the best DNA tests.
6 months Ancestry Premium subscription
- Buy now from Ancestry, special offer from £48.99
A six-month gift subscription to Ancestry usually costs £69.99 so this special offer of just £48.99 makes it a steal and the perfect gift for someone wanting to explore their family history. This special offer is valid all the way up to Christmas and, because it's a digital gift, it's ideal for those last-minute gifts. If you are buying the gift for someone with overseas ancestors, then the six-month Worldwide subscription is also on special offer. Usually £99.99 for six months, the current offer price is just £69.99 and gives access to all of Ancestry's records including those for America, Ireland, Europe and Australia.
Family tree gifts under £75
3 months Findmypast Everything subscription
- Buy now from Findmypast, £59.99
Buy a friend or relative a 3-month subscription to Findmypast with complete access to all its records, including parish records, census records, military records and access to the British Library newspaper archive. Gifting a three-month subscription is a great way to introduce someone to family history research, but it can also be popular with someone who is already into family history, but doesn't yet subscribe to Findmypast. Read our run-down on why Findmypast is a great gift for family historians.
Historic Newspapers book
- Buy now from Historic Newspapers, from £59.99
Treat someone to a birthday book with a front cover from every birthday. Choose from either The Daily Telegraph or The Daily Mirror. Each book can be personalised not only with the recipient’s name on the cover, but a dedicated message inside too.
For Christmas you can treat sports fans to historic newspapers covering their favourite team or history buffs to books featuring landmark events such as the Second World War or the sinking of the Titanic.
Best luxury family tree gifts
Family tree research with a one-hour presentation
- Buy now from YourTour.live, £205
Offer a loved-one a mini Who Do You Think You Are? experience with this genealogy product from a new UK start-up, YourTour. Professional genealogists research your family history, guided by what you would like to explore, and then present their findings in a one-hour online conversation. After the live session, you are sent a detailed report of the findings including all the historical documents that were uncovered during the research. It's the perfect gift for someone who would like to know something about their family history, but haven't got the time or feel uncertain about carrying out the research.
Commission a traditional calligraphy family tree
- Buy now from Moon and Tide on Etsy, from £300
- Buy now from Oakleaf Calligraphy, from £225
One of the best family tree gifts you can give is a family tree! If you’ve got the budget, why not go high end and get a professional handwritten tree. We love this example above available from Moon and Tide on Etsy (from £300 for 30 names, up to £1,000 for 100). Another great option is Oakleaf Calligraphy. Janet Smith drew the tree for Danny Dyer’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? and she really understands what family historians want. At the more affordable end, she can create a beautiful print of your tree, making it look much better than the standard templates offered by software packages. Alternatively, push the boat out and get your family tree beautifully presented with one of her exclusive hand-written family trees (prices from £620 for 60 names).
Hire a personal biographer
- Buy now from Story Terrace, from £333
- Buy now from Book Of My Life, from £2,350
- Buy now from Lifebook, from £9,000
Not everyone has the time, or, let’s be honest, the skill, to write their autobiography, but recording a life can be one of the best legacies we can leave for the next generation. Personal biography companies employ professional writers to interview the recipient over several meetings and collaborate with them to produce a book that will be cherished for generations. As well as getting a digital copy, most packages come with at least one beautifully-bound hard copy. Story Terrace prices start at £1,950 (for a junior writer), Book Of My Life starts at £2,150 or you can go for the Rolls Royce of biography writing with Lifebook whose prices start at £9,000 and go up to an eye-watering £24,000.
