Daily AncestorMaternal
Maternal means on the mother's side of the family, as in a maternal grandmother (the mother's mother) or maternal uncle.
Maternal comes from the Latin word for mother. A maternal grandmother is your mother's mother; a maternal uncle is your mother's brother. The opposite word is paternal, on the father's side.
When a record speaks of the maternal side, it means relatives through the mother, whose maiden surname differs from the child's. Look for her parents' and siblings' records under that maiden name.
As seen in a recordOrphans' court record, 1860s
Wilhelmina Gastrell, maternal aunt of the said child
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Maternal." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/maternal. Last checked 2026-10-12.