Survey: Most Americans Don’t Know Their Grandparents’ Names

A shocking new survey indicates that many Americans don't know much about their personal history, and most cannot even name all four of their grandparents. Imagine not knowing your grandparents' names?

Study Finds.org says, "There is a massive knowledge gap when it comes to recent family history." The site reports on a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Ancestry that says, "Just 47 percent of respondents could correctly name all four grandparents." The survey also reveals that "only four percent could name all eight great-grandparents."

Study Finds.org says the survey found "66 percent of Boston residents could name all of their grandparents compared to only 26 percent of those in Philadelphia." Boston and most of Massachusetts are very family-centric, so that doesn't surprise me.

The survey indicates that only 34 percent of San Fransisco residents can name all four grandparents, while in Chicago and Dallas, only 36 percent can.

Get our free mobile app

Most respondents said they learned the most about their family history from their parents (43 percent) and grandparents (40 percent), but 66 percent said they want to learn more. Study Finds.org says, "51 percent say they want to hear more stories about when their ancestors were young and what they were like at that time."

My paternal grandparents were Adellard and Mary. His people came from Quebec, Canada, while hers came from Poland. My maternal grandparents were Howard and Freida. His people came from Ireland and England while she was born on a boat leaving Nova Scotia for Ellis Island.

I confess that I cannot name any of my great-grandparents, but I know a bit about their history. I wish I knew more. Family histories are important and should be passed down from generation to generation. My regret is that I have too few pictures of my now-deceased family members.

Do you know your grandparents' names? What about your great-grandparents' names?