A young genealogist by definition is young and for us, that means between the ages of 13 and 24. Within the genealogical community, there are around 30 to 50 young genealogists, and around half of us are part of The Hidden Branch. Most of us are in America but there are also many in Europe and Oceania, we mimic the mainstream community pretty well, although I would say we are slightly more diverse.
Most young genealogists are unsurprisingly English, Scottish and Irish, and trace their ancestors back to the founding of America, Australia, or another British colony. That being said not all of us trace our ancestors to the British Isles, I for one trace my heritage to Eastern and Southern Europe, and some trace their ancestry back to the Americas, Africa, and Asia (India and Vietnam).
Something that won’t shock anyone is that there are more female young genealogists than males, but not by much. We’re very diverse when it comes to skills and in our knowledge of genealogy, I would say that most young genealogists are at a beginner level when it comes to research, a lot of focus on basic records, online research and sometimes dabbling with research methodologies. Some like Sarah Day and Me (P.J. Elias) are what I would call intermediate, both of us are working on certifications, so we can become professional genealogists in the future.
The vast majority of us are hobbyists with some of us interested in becoming professional genealogists, others want to become, teachers or general historians. We are hopeful for the future of the industry and are excited to leave our mark on the community.
We’re always looking for new opportunities and ideas, if you have any please contact us!