Definition
Legacy Family Tree is a commercial genealogy software application designed for the recording, organization, analysis, and presentation of family history data. It enables users to create, edit, and display family trees, generate reports, and exchange genealogical information in standard formats such as GEDCOM.
Overview
Developed by Millennia Software, Legacy Family Tree was first made available to the public in the mid‑1990s. The program runs on Microsoft Windows operating systems and is marketed to both amateur family historians and professional genealogists. It provides a graphical user interface for entering individuals, relationships, sources, and media, and includes tools for charting, timeline creation, geographic mapping, and data synchronization with the Legacy Family Tree Web service. The software is sold under a proprietary license, with periodic major releases that introduce new features, improve performance, and address compatibility with evolving operating‑system environments.
Etymology / Origin
The product name combines the English word “legacy,” referring to inheritance or something handed down from previous generations, with “family tree,” the common term for a diagrammatic representation of genealogical relationships. The name reflects the software’s purpose of helping users document and preserve familial legacies. “Legacy Family Tree” is a registered trademark of Millennia Software.
Characteristics
- Data Management: Structured data entry forms for individuals, families, events, sources, and citations; support for multimedia attachments (photos, documents, audio, video).
- Standards Compatibility: Import and export of GEDCOM files, facilitating data exchange with other genealogy programs and online databases.
- Charting and Reporting: Generation of a variety of genealogical charts (pedigree, descendant, fan, hourglass) and textual reports (family group, lineage, source citations).
- Research Tools: Integrated search functions, timeline visualizations, and geographic mapping of ancestral locations.
- Sync and Web Integration: Optional synchronization with the Legacy Family Tree Web service, allowing users to publish trees online, collaborate with other researchers, and access tree data from multiple devices.
- Security Features: Password protection, data backup utilities, and optional encryption of genealogical files.
- Localization: Availability of the user interface in multiple languages, though primary development is in English.
Related Topics
- Genealogy software (e.g., Family Tree Maker, Ancestry.com’s DNA and tree tools, Gramps)
- GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication) standard
- Family history research methods
- Digital archiving of historical records
- Online genealogy databases such as FamilySearch, MyHeritage, and Ancestry.com
- Heritage preservation and cultural anthropology
All information presented is based on publicly documented sources and the official product literature of Legacy Family Tree.