A surprising number of genealogies, family history bibliographies, and indexes are published for many countries. Global Indexes and Collections. These records are generally worldwide, so you only need a vague idea of a place of origin to search them. They are often available at family history centers, arranged by world region or surname. Ancestral File links millions of computerized names into families and pedigrees.
Many lines extend back to the country of origin.
It also helps you find other researchers interested in the same lines. International Genealogical Index lists millions of names by country or state. It indexes church record births and marriages and is one of the most helpful tools for localizing surnames. The index is an important source and should be one of the first places you check for all countries of origin, especially Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales. Many lines are followed back to the emigrant's place of origin.