Family Tree Layouts Explained — Which Format Should You Use?

There is no single correct family tree layout — different formats suit different purposes. Whether you are displaying your ancestry on a wall, tracking research across five generations, or recording medical history, understanding the layout options makes it easier to choose the right one.

The standard portrait family tree

The portrait family tree is the most familiar format — the one most people picture when they think of a family tree. Ancestors are shown above, with branches spreading upward, and the subject of the tree (usually yourself or a child) appears at the bottom or centre. It reads the same way a real tree grows: roots and trunk at the bottom, branches above.

A standard portrait tree on A4 paper fits 3–4 generations comfortably. Three generations gives you: yourself, your parents, and your four grandparents. Four generations adds your eight great-grandparents across the top row. Beyond four generations, a portrait layout becomes very wide and difficult to fit on standard paper without shrinking the text to the point of illegibility.

This format is best for display, gifts, family reunions, and classroom projects. It is immediately readable by anyone, requires no explanation, and prints cleanly on a single A4 sheet.

• Best for: display, gifts, family reunions, school projects
• Paper size: A4 portrait
• Limitation: gets very wide at 4+ generations — 16 great-grandparent boxes across the top row
• Blank Family Tree Template — 3 generations
• 4-Generation Family Tree Template

The pedigree chart (ancestor chart)

The pedigree chart is the standard format used by genealogists. Unlike the portrait tree, it shows only direct ancestors — no siblings, no cousins, no descendants. You appear on the left side of the page, and ancestors extend to the right in columns. Each generation you move to the right doubles the number of people shown: 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, and so on.

This layout handles more generations in less space than a portrait tree, because it does not need to show the full width of any generation — only the direct line from you to your ancestors. A 4-generation pedigree chart fits 15 people on a single A4 landscape page with room to write names, dates, and places clearly.

Genealogists typically work with one pedigree chart per surname line they are actively researching. When one chart is complete and a line needs to continue further back, a new chart begins at that ancestor. The charts are numbered and linked so the whole research project stays organised across multiple sheets.

• Best for: genealogy research, tracking direct ancestry lines
• Paper size: A4 landscape
• Tip: use a separate pedigree chart for each distinct surname line you are researching
• FamilySearch provides free pedigree chart templates and extensive guidance on genealogy record-keeping conventions.
• 3-Generation Pedigree Chart
• 4-Generation Pedigree Chart
• 5-Generation Pedigree Chart

The descendant chart

The descendant chart is the reverse of the pedigree chart. Instead of going backward through ancestors, it starts with a single ancestor at the top and maps all of their known descendants downward through the generations. It answers the question: "Who are all the living relatives descended from this one person?"

Descendant charts are useful for tracking a specific family line forward through time — useful if you are researching a particular surname, trying to find living relatives, or mapping how a family spread across different locations over generations. They are less commonly available as simple printable templates because the number of descendants varies enormously from family to family. A family with many children per generation can easily require a very large sheet to show even three or four generations of descendants.

The family group sheet

The family group sheet is not a tree in the visual sense — it is a structured form designed to capture all details about one family unit: two parents and their children. It records full names, dates and places of birth, marriage, and death for each person in the unit, along with sources for each piece of information.

Family group sheets are used alongside pedigree charts, not instead of them. Where the pedigree chart gives you the visual overview, the family group sheet holds the supporting detail that the chart cannot. Every couple that appears on your pedigree chart deserves their own family group sheet. Together, the two formats create a complete and well-organised research file.

• Best for: detailed record-keeping alongside pedigree charts, serious genealogy research
• Family Group Sheet

The fan chart (radial chart)

A fan chart places you at the centre of a circle, with ancestors radiating outward in arcs — like the rings of a tree cross-section, or the segments of a pie chart that keeps doubling. Each arc represents one generation. The innermost ring holds your parents, the next holds your grandparents, and so on outward.

The fan chart is visually striking and surprisingly compact. A 5-generation fan chart fits more people in a smaller space than a portrait tree of the same generation depth, because the curved arcs use the available space more efficiently than rectangular boxes in a grid. Fan charts are popular for wall display and as gifts — printed large, they make an impressive piece of family art.

The limitation is that fan charts are difficult to draw by hand. The arcs need to be measured and the text needs to fit within each curved segment. In practice, they are almost always produced by genealogy software or custom printers rather than hand-drawn.

• Best for: wall display, gifts, visually impressive presentation of ancestry
• Limitation: very difficult to produce without software or a custom printer

The genogram

A genogram uses a standardised set of shapes and lines to show not just who is in a family but what the relationships between them are like. Squares represent males, circles represent females. Different line styles between couples indicate whether they are married, de facto, separated, divorced, estranged, or in conflict. Lines to children indicate whether each child is biological, adopted, or a foster child. Shaded symbols indicate deceased individuals; other conventions mark medical conditions or significant life events.

Genograms are widely used in professional settings — medicine, psychology, social work, and family therapy. A doctor mapping hereditary heart disease across three generations, or a therapist tracking patterns of behaviour or trauma across a family, would typically use a genogram rather than a standard family tree. But they are also useful for researchers and family historians who want to capture more than names and dates — who want a diagram that shows the texture of family relationships rather than just the structure.

• Best for: medical or psychological family history, social work contexts, in-depth family research
• Genogram Template
• Genogram Symbols Explained — Complete Reference Guide

For a full explanation of the symbol conventions, see our Genogram Symbols guide, or the Wikipedia genogram article for an academic overview.

The relationship chart

A relationship chart is a reference document rather than a personal family record. It shows the correct terminology for family relationships — what to call someone who is your second cousin once removed, how to identify the relationship between two people who share great-grandparents but are not siblings. These charts exist because most people find cousin relationships genuinely confusing, and the terminology varies between cultures and countries.

A relationship chart is something you keep alongside your research rather than fill in with your own family's names. It answers a reference question: given the generational distance between two people, what are they to each other?

• Cousin Relationship Chart
• Family Relationship Chart

Which layout should you choose?

The honest answer is that most people end up using more than one format. A pedigree chart and a family group sheet work together by design. A portrait tree is the right choice for display while pedigree charts handle the actual research. A genogram adds a layer that neither of those formats can provide.

Here is a simple guide to which format to reach for first:

• Just starting out — blank portrait family tree; it is familiar, immediate, and requires no explanation
• Serious genealogy research — pedigree chart plus family group sheets — the same combination used by the FamilySearch genealogy standard; this is the combination that scales
• School project — portrait family tree, 3 or 4 generations depending on the assignment
• Medical or psychological family history — genogram; nothing else captures relationship types and health patterns as clearly
• Wall display or gift — fan chart if you have access to software, or a portrait tree on large-format paper
• Understanding cousin relationships — cousin chart or family relationship chart as a reference alongside your other documents

There is no need to choose just one format. Many people keep a portrait tree on the wall for family gatherings and a full pedigree chart set in a binder for research purposes. Start with the format that matches your immediate goal, and add formats as your research grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a family tree and a pedigree chart?

A family tree typically shows relatives in a top-down portrait format including siblings and extended family. A pedigree chart shows only direct ancestors in a left-to-right landscape format — you on the left, ancestors extending to the right. Pedigree charts are the standard format used by genealogists for research.

How many generations fit on an A4 family tree?

A standard A4 portrait family tree fits 3–4 generations comfortably. Three generations includes yourself, your parents, and your four grandparents. Four generations adds eight great-grandparents across the top. A landscape A4 pedigree chart can fit 4–5 generations.

What is a fan chart family tree?

A fan chart places you at the centre of a circle, with ancestors radiating outward in arcs — one arc per generation. Fan charts are visually striking and fit more generations in less space than a portrait tree, but they are difficult to draw by hand and are typically produced by genealogy software or custom printers.

What is a family group sheet?

A family group sheet is a structured form that records all details about one family unit — two parents and their children. It captures full names, dates and places of birth, marriage, and death for each person. Family group sheets are used alongside pedigree charts to hold detailed information that a tree diagram cannot contain.