Begin broad
Search one given name or family name before adding more terms.
A Hawaiian genealogy recovery project
Find the names.
Follow the stories.
A welcoming guide to searching transcribed genealogy books from the Hawaiian Ancestry – Moʻopono Knowledge Well.
Start your research
Who are you looking for?
Enter one given name or family name to search the typed transcriptions in the Knowledge Well. Your results will open on the collection site in a new tab.
Quick tipStart with one name · Try spelling variants · Try with and without diacritics
Try a sample:
Or browse every genealogy book →56 of 65genealogy records transcribed
7,393pages transcribed so far
Each record is transcribed, vetted, indexed, and added to the Knowledge Well for free public access.
A clear path
Search with confidence
Handwritten names and historic spelling can make genealogy research feel uncertain. These four steps give you a reliable place to begin.
Try variations
Repeat the search using alternate spellings and diacritic forms.
Open the record
Review nearby names, page context, and the full transcript—not only the match.
Keep the source
Record the G-Book title and page so you can return to it and compare sources.
Know what you’re opening
Transcript or original scan?
Use the transcript to search names quickly. Use the original scan to see the handwriting, page arrangement, and archival context.
Best for finding a name
Typed transcripts
Searchable text prepared and reviewed by the Moʻopono hui.
Search transcripts →Best for checking the source
Original scans
Digitized views that preserve the original handwritten pages.
Find original scans →The work behind the search
Returning genealogy records to the people of Hawaiʻi
The project began in 2021 under Dr. Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa at the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. A hui of students works to transcribe a collection of historic genealogy books held by the Hawaiʻi State Archives. The long-term work includes transcription, review, indexing, digital access, and translation from ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi to English.
Meet the hui →