Names and lineages: Top Free Resources for Genealogy Surname Research

If you are researching for your ancestors, or making family tree connections then you should be aware of the following highly rated databases, which combined contain over 650 million surnames. The following linked family tree projects include names and surnames and many cases dates, places, and the contact details of the contributor helping to collaborate with other researchers and share discoveries and information, exchange surnames and family trees.
All Resources listed are either free or allow a level of free access (such as free views or generous free trials) .

1. Ancestry World Tree / RootsWeb World Connect
A merger of the RootsWeb World Connect Project which was started in 1996, and the Ancestry World Tree which started the following year. This is officially the Internet's largest pedigree database consisting of over 250,000 million names!

2. FamilySearch - Pedigree Resource File
Over 60 million names are now included in the resource File, a database of compiled pedigrees submitted by users through the FamilySearch.com site or gathered from printed family histories. A successor to the Ancestral File, PRF indexes individual records with events, parents, locations, and submitter contact information.

3. MyTrees.com - Ancestry Archive
This collection of surnames contains over 200 million names and pedigree-linked  information provided by various family group sheets and contributing family trees. Users can search the index for free, and the Ancestry Archive also offers free full access to users who submit a GEDCOM.The Free software makes it very easy to build a family tree online.

4. GenCircles - Global Tree
A new genealogy resource, GenCircles was founded by Cliff Shaw and has quickly become a popular place for searching and submitting family trees.  Records of the Surnames of over 90 million ancestors can be searched for free and as with Mytrees.com, submit your GEDCOM file to GenCircles Global Tree and you can use "matching technology" to pair the people in your pedigree with those already on file.

5. FamilySearch - Ancestral File
As with the Pedigree Resource File, this record collection from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides free access to millions of names contained in user-submitted pedigrees. This is an older and very large database which in most cases has merged information on individuals from multiple sources, but does not include sources for the information outside of the names of the submitters.