Genealogy numbering

Genealogy numbering 150 150 Heredis Help Knowledgebase

A genealogical research can lead to the processing of thousands of people, some bearing the same name and sometimes the same given name over several generations.
In order to identify ancestors and position them with relation to other persons, various numbering systems have been developed and are commonly used by genealogists.

Ancestor numbering

The method for numbering ancestors is called Ahnentafel. The number assigned to a person will identify the gender and position of any individual in direct descent (it does not apply to collaterals).

The three basic rules for Ahnentafel numbering are:

1. Even numbers are assigned to men and odd numbers to women.
2. For every couple, the woman’s number is the equivalent of the number of the man + 1.
3. For every father, a number is assigned equal to twice that of his son or daughter.

The person whose ancestry is being researched bears the No. 1 (irrespective of gender). This is the person who is at the base of the genealogy file. He/she is called the Root person.

The father of the root person is No. 2 (twice the No. 1), his mother No. 3 (No. 2 + 1). His paternal grandfather is No. 4 (double the No. 2), his paternal grandmother No. 5 (4 + 1). His maternal grandfather is No. 6 (double the No. 3), his maternal grandmother No. 7 (6 + 1), etc.

Thus each ancestor is traceable from his/her number: No. 599 is a woman (odd No.) and is the wife of No. 598. She is the mother of No. 299, who is a woman, and who is the mother of No. 149, etc..

This numbering is displayed on the data entry and navigation tabs, in the panels and in the different documents and tree charts. It is auto­matically calculated by Heredis.

Identifying the Ahnentafel lineage

You may identify persons who belong to the Ahnentafel lineage by the symbol preceding their names.

Heredis identifies each person with an icon indicating its gender (blue for men, purple for women and green for persons whose gen­der is unknown). If the person is a direct ancestor of the root person, the head of the icon is yellow or .

The primary person’s number is displayed in the status bar after the generation’s number (G).

If a marriage between blood relatives in his/her ancestry has created a duplicate branch (implex), the primary person’s number is followed by the ++ signs. Click the Ahnentafel number to display the list of all the number the primary person bears.

Navigating in the direct lineage

Use the compass to naviguate in direct line from the tools panel.

If the primary person displayed is part of the direct lineage of the root person, the View previous direct-line ancestor and View next direct-line ancestor arrow buttons allow you to move up or down the genealogy, generation by generation, without overlooking a single ancestor.

Descendant numbering

Heredis uses d’Aboville or Lettered numbering to treat individuals listed in a descending genealogy.

The three basic rules for d’Aboville numbering are:

  1. Each child bears the number of his father or his mother followed by the number of his/her order of birth.
  2. Then one proceeds by adding the order number of birth for each gen­eration.
  3. A letter distinguishes the different unions.

D’Aboville numbering allows you to know the number of genera­tions separating an individual from his/her ancestor and from which branch of the family he/she comes.

Thus you will identify the progeny of a person: the eldest is No.1, the next youngest No. 2, the very youngest No. 3, etc.. The two children of the eldest are numbered No. 1-1 and No. 1-2. The child of the first husband of the youngest bears the number No. 2-1a, those of the second husband are numbered No. 2-2b, N°.2-3b and No. 2-4b. The only child of the youngest is numbered No. 3-1.

D’Aboville numbering may be displayed on the different descendant documents and tree charts.

Lettered numbering uses the same system but with letters instead of numbers.

Implex (duplicate branches)

The same person may appear several times in an ascendancy, and appear in several branches of a tree. This is due to consanguineous marriages.

The ratio between the total number of ancestors and the number of ancestors that really exist (smaller) is called the Implex rate. One per­son may therefore bear several Ahnentafel numbers.
Imagine that Jack marries Marianne. However, Jack’s father was the brother of the grandfather of Marianne. Jack and Marianne therefore have common ancestors, which will appear in two different branches of the family tree.

Heredis manages the different numbers automatically and symbolizes it with ++ symbol after the Ahnentafel number. If you click on the Ahnentafel number, you’ll see all numbers corresponding to the same person.

In Descendants view (Family tab) ans in Search Tracking, the name of implex persons will appear in red.

See also Implex (Duplicate Branches)