Building a good list of surnames is helpful in conducting genealogical research and an absolute essential for DNA matching. WikiTree provides the ultimate tool for building a rich list of surnames. Click on the [My WikiTree] tab. Next click on [Family List]. A list of all known ancestors is displayed. More than likely this will display many previously unknown ancestors. The default displays 10 generations. If you want a rich list, reset the number of generation to 15 and then click (Go). Copy the complete into the clipboard and paste into a word process, OneNote, or EverNote. A word processor is preferred because it will allow you to enlarge the font size.
Once you have saved the list, use another preferably OneNote or EverNote page. Another word processing file can be used. Bounce back and forth between the two files copying the last name of at birth into the clipboard and pasting it into a second file. Once finished you have a rich surname list.
I took my list and divided it into two groups. Primary surnames were the first eight generations. The secondary list contained the last seven generations. When combined with a list of locations where your ancestors lived, this becomes a powerful tool in building a quality DNA query email.
