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There were four Elgin brothers: Henry, Ezra, Robert and Samuel. Henry had two sons: Henry and Samuel. Ezra had one son: Ezra. Robert had seven sons: Among them were Henry, Robert, Ezra and Samuel. Samuel had two sons: Samuel and Henry.

This family clearly didn't have a copy of "10,000 Baby Names." For several generations, Elgin baby boys received the names of those four brothers.

Imagine the introductions at Elgin family reunions. "Hello I'm Henry. This is my father Henry, my grandfather Henry, my son Henry, my nephew Henry and my two cousins, both Henry."

Now 150 years later, Elgin descendants try to sort out all of those Henrys, Samuels, Roberts and Ezras. It's a challenge.

To decipher the genealogical messes our ancestors saddled us with, genealogists have embraced the tools of technology.

We use several technological gadgets to aid our research, but the basic tool all genealogists should consider using is a software program designed for tracking genealogy data.

There are plenty of software programs to choose from. Wading through the software choices is like wading through the Elgin family — it can get confusing.

Start by reading some online reviews of software packages at TopTen Reviews.

Here, you'll get a rundown of the most popular programs and their capabilities.

I would recommend downloading free trial versions of several programs. Enter the same data in each program and compare the results.

Even the most basic software packages link family members to each other and allow you to create various kinds of charts.

Other important features for me: adding citations easily, adding scanned photos to individual and family records, creating Web-based pages for uploading on the Internet, and compiling the data into book format.

Also important is the visual layout of an individual's screen. Can you see great-granddad's three wives on the same screen? Can you easily jump to screens for each of his 14 children? Can you see his parents' names on his screen? Can you add research notes to his screen?

Fortunately, many of the software packages allow you to import data from other programs. So, if you start using one and find it doesn't suit you, you can just switch to another program.

Most genealogy software is inexpensive, less than $100. Some programs are even free.

If you're serious about genealogy, you need genealogy software. It helps you get organized; it helps you share your research with others; it helps you see gaps and problems with the research.