Personal Ancestral File

Personal Ancestral File or PAF is a genealogy software provided by FamilySearch, a website operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is available as freeware.

Personal Ancestral File is the personal computer version of Ancestral File, one of the genealogy databases that is available from FamilySearch. After typing names, dates, citations and source documents into the database, PAF allows users to sort and search the genealogical data, print various forms and charts, and share files with others in GEDCOM format. It is also able to link images and other media files to the individual records.

Ancestral File number
An Ancestral File number is a unique identifier for everyone who has a record in the Ancestral File format. AFNs are used as a genealogical indexing tool by the LDS Church. AFN's consist of four capital letters or numbers, a dash, and then two or three more capital letters or numbers. An AFN does not contain any vowels (A, E, I, O, U, or Y). An example is 1BS3-9X1. AFNs can be searched online at the LDS's website, FamilySearch.