Brick Wall

A “brick wall” is genealogical slang for an ancestor or family line that a researcher cannot trace further back. Brick walls arise for many reasons: the records that would document the person don’t exist, have been destroyed, have never been indexed, or the researcher hasn’t yet located them. Name changes (especially at immigration), common surnames, and gaps in record-keeping are frequent culprits.

Strategies for breaking through brick walls include exploring collateral relatives (siblings, cousins) who may lead back to the same ancestors via different records, DNA testing to find genetic cousins who have already researched the shared line, consulting regional archives and specialists, and checking records in the country or region of origin.