Whose genealogy is the oldest and largest extant family tree listed in the Guinness Book of Records?

Genealogy is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives. Historically, in Western societies the focus of genealogy was on the kinship and decedents of rulers and nobles.

The family tree of Confucius (551-479 BC) has been maintained for over 2,500 years and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest extant family tree. The fifth edition of the ‘Confucius Genealogy’ was printed in 2009 by the Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee. Kong Deyong, a 77th generation descendent, established the committee in Hong Kong. The last major previous publication of the Confucius genealogy was in 1930.

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness and sincerity.

Interest in family history has been growing due to advertising coupled with easier access to on line records and the affordability of DNA tests (genetic testing to identify the sequence or chromosome structure).