While the terms "genealogy" and "family history" are often used interchangeably, they are, in fact, different. Genealogy is specifically concerned with tracing family lineages in order to obtain kinship information, which often ends in the creation of family trees or pedigree charts. Family history, on the other hand, is a catch-all term that refers to an interest in more than simply unified lineages. Family histories also concern themselves with the biography of individual members and groups, and often end in the creation of narratives. While many people are concerned only with genealogy, the creation of family histories can be a much more rewarding - if not demanding - task. The following table defines some of the subsets of family history:
| Genealogy | Tracing a living person's pedigree back in time from the present, or a historic person's descendancy into the present, using archival records. |
| Genetic Genealogy | Discovering relationships by comparing the DNA of living individuals. For more details, visit this webpage. |
| One-Name Studies | An investigation of all persons with a common surname. |
| One-Place Studies | Population histories in relation to static geographic locations. |
| Heraldic/Peerage Studies | Inquiries into the legal right of persons to bear arms or claim noble status. |
| Clan Studies | Inquiries into groups with a shared patrilineal or matrilineal connection to a tribal chieftain and his servants, although they may not be related by blood and may not share the same surname. |