Welcome to the Rainard Family page at Surname Finder, a service of Genealogy Today. Our editors have compiled this checklist of genealogical resources, combining links to commercial databases along with user-contributed information and web sites for the Rainard surname. As additional sources for vital records, original documents, vintage photographs and surname-based DNA projects are discovered, this page is updated to offer the best list for researching Rainard ancestry. Share this page on Twitter!
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The Rainard Family Tree
It is quite possible that someone else has already performed work on a Rainard family tree, so be sure to examine some of the sources listed below carefully. Have you struck a Rainard brick wall? Read "Searching For A Needle In An Ancestral Haystack" for some helpful advice.
Best Tree Collections for Discovering Rainard Ancestors
Rainard Genealogy
Keep an open mind when searching through Rainard records. Years ago many people were unable to read and write, thus a given ancestor's name could be spelled in a variety of ways depending on who recorded it. If you want to know How can city directories be used to help my Rainard research?, then read this frequently asked question.
Top Five Genealogy Databases to Search for Rainard
Historical newspapers give us the ability to discover ancestral history through eyewitness accounts.
There are currently matching Rainard records at Ancestry.com!
Start exploring this online Rainard family history resource today.
Death Records
Military Records
Origins of the Rainard Surname
It is quite possible for two people with the Rainard last name to have been given that surname for entirely different reasons. Discovering the country from which your Rainard ancestors originated can often yield additional clues for the meaning of the surname. Keep in mind that it was not unusual for a last name to be altered as an ancestor entered a new country.
Rainard DNA Projects
While DNA testing cannot conclusively tell you if two Rainard ancestors were related, it can easily prove if they weren't. Be sure you understand what types of research issues each different DNA test can address before you spend any money. If you're not sure how DNA testing could aid your Rainard research, read "Basics of DNA Family History Research".
Rainard Family History
There is more to exploring your Rainard ancestry than just gathering a bunch of names and dates. Understanding where your ancestors lived, how they were employed, and what they did for fun, may give you a better appreciation of your heritage. Whether you are a beginner or expert genealogists, knowing How can I decipher the handwriting in old Rainard documents? is always useful.
Photo Collections
Networking with Rainard Researchers
When you've come up against a brick wall in your genealogy research, posting a message board query can help; one of the biggest benefits is that message board queries are accessed through search engines, which means even someone not specifically engaged in genealogy but interested in your subject may find your query and bring valuable new information to the table -- it happens! The article "Looking for John Smith - Focusing a Query" provides some valuable tips for posting successful Rainard queries.
You may also want to consider posting a query to the Community Message Boards at Genealogy Today to get assistance from other researchers on your most elusive Rainard ancestors.
Rainard Achievements & Celebrities
Web Sites & Blogs with Rainard Research
If you are having difficulty locating records for the last name of Rainard, contact the folks at ProGenealogists for a free research estimate. You may also find it helpful to read, "When, Why and How to Hire a Professional Genealogist."
RootsWeb search of US Naturalization Records
RootsWeb search of Obituary Daily Times
RootsWeb search of Social Security Death Index
To recommend your web site/blog for inclusion on this page, please submit a link to the user-contributed directory at Genealogy Today. Your web page may appear once its content has been reviewed by our editors.
Upcoming Rainard Family Reunions
Notifying everyone in advance to bring old photos and documents can bring big rewards, making a special place at the reunion (maybe even a special Rainard booth) where people can come at their leisure to sit, look and chat; in addition to information and clues that might be written on the back of a photo, every photograph has a story and serves as an excellent stimulus to recall -- people might comment not only on the people in the photo, but also on what's in the background, or they might have information around where the photo was taken or the event -- just be sure to have someone there to capture new information. The article "Planning Details For A Family Reunion" may provide you with tips for hosting a successful Rainard reunion.
See Also
Surname Finder, The Rainard Genealogy and Family Tree Page [on-line resource], New Providence, NJ, USA: Genealogy Today LLC, 2020.
