Key points
- A free obituary search usually starts with a web search, funeral home websites and the local newspaper.
- Use the full name in quotes plus the word obituary and a location.
- Try nicknames, middle names and maiden names.
- Funeral home websites are often the first place a notice appears.
- Memorial sites and newspaper archives help for older notices.
Gather the details that help
Before you search, write down what you know: full name, any nicknames, the city and state where the person lived, an approximate age and the names of close family. These details help you recognize the right notice when several people share the same name.
Search tips that work
- Put the name in quotes, for example "James Morrow", so results match the exact name.
- Add the word obituary and the city or state.
- Try the name with and without a middle initial.
- Search a spouse’s or child’s name, since they are often listed in the notice.
- If results are old, add the current year to find recent notices.
Let us keep watch for you.
We check funeral homes, newspapers and memorial sites every day and email you when a matching notice appears.
Where to look
Start with funeral homes near where the person lived, then local newspapers, then larger memorial websites that collect notices from many sources. Each of these can have notices the others do not.
Narrowing down common names
For common names, check the details inside each notice: age, hometown, family names and places of work. Two notices with the same name can be about very different people, so confirm at least two details before you rely on one.
Official resources.
- FamilySearchFree genealogy and death records
- Chronicling AmericaLibrary of Congress historic newspapers
- Resources for genealogistsU.S. National Archives
Common questions: free obituary search: how to find an obituary online.
Yes. A web search with the full name, the word obituary and the city is free, and so are funeral home websites, most newspaper obituary pages and memorial sites. Paid tools mainly save time.
There is no single obituary finder that lists every death. The best results come from combining a web search, local funeral homes and the local newspaper. If you need to know when a new notice appears, an obituary alert does the searching for you.
It may be listed under a different spelling, a nickname or a maiden name, or it may be on a small funeral home site that search engines have not picked up yet.
Most funeral home and memorial site notices are free. Some newspaper archives, especially for older notices, may need a subscription.
Try both. Obituaries may use the full middle name, just an initial, or leave it out.
Search both the legal name and the nickname, since families often use the name people knew best.
Try her married name and her maiden name. Many obituaries list both.
No. This guide is general information to help you get started. For legal matters, speak with a qualified professional.
This guide is general information to help you get started. It is not legal advice.