Types of Family Tree Charts (and Which One to Use)

"Family tree" sounds like one thing, but there are several distinct chart types, and each answers a different question. Choosing the right one before you start saves a lot of rearranging later. Here is a plain-English guide to the main types and when to use each.

Ancestor chart (pedigree chart)

This is the shape most people picture: one person at the base, with parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents fanning out above or beside them. Each generation roughly doubles in width.

Use it when you want to answer "where do I come from?" It focuses on a single person's direct ancestors and ignores siblings, aunts, and cousins. It is the classic choice for a school project.

Descendant chart

The mirror image: it starts with one ancestor at the top and shows everyone descended from them — all their children, grandchildren, and so on.

Use it when you want to map out a whole extended family from a common ancestor, such as for a family reunion. This is where multiple marriages and blended families show up most, so pick a tool that handles them.

Hourglass chart

An hourglass combines the two: it puts one person in the middle, shows their ancestors going up and their descendants going down.

Use it when you want the fullest picture centered on one individual — both where they came from and who came after them.

Fan chart

A fan chart arranges ancestors in a semicircle or full circle radiating out from the central person. It is really an ancestor chart in a compact, circular form.

Use it when you want to display many generations in a small space, or want a visually striking chart to frame. Fan charts are popular precisely because they print beautifully.

Which should you choose?

• "Who are my ancestors?" → ancestor chart or fan chart
• "Who descends from this person?" → descendant chart
• "The full story of one person" → hourglass chart
• "Something to frame" → fan chart

You do not have to commit up front

The advantage of building digitally is that your underlying data stays the same no matter how you view it. In Blaadline, you build the connected tree once — people, spouses, children, and generations — and navigate the whole thing freely, then export a clean chart to print. You are not locked into one shape the way a blank paper template forces you to be (more on that in printable family tree templates).

New to all this? Start with the full walkthrough on how to make a family tree, then open the builder and start adding people.