How to Do a Free People Search

[Andi Ramos]

I’m trying to track down someone I lost touch with years ago. I only have a partial name and maybe an old email or number not even sure if they’re still active. I’ve tried the usual social media routes facebook, linkedIn even some niche platforms but nothing solid has come up.

I’ve come across a bunch of sites but most of them seem to require payment just to get past the basics. I don’t mind putting in some time, I just don’t want to spend money upfront if there are reliable free methods out there.

So… how do you actually do a free people search that works? Are there any databases or tools people here recommend that are actually useful? Even if it just gives a general idea like city/state or possible aliases that would be helpful.

 

[Kyra Lane]

Start with Google. Seriously. Use name + city/state + quotes. Sometimes you’ll find old forum posts, public mentions or even resumes.

 

[Matias Baker]

Whitepages has a decent free tier. Won’t give you full numbers or addresses but you can confirm cities, age ranges and relatives.

 

[Rowan Snow]

Try using FamilyTreeNow. It’s surprisingly detailed and 100% free though a bit scary how much it shows.

 

[Alexia Duffy]

Facebook and instagram searches can work well. Even people with private profiles still show up in search results with city or job info.

 

[Kyng Peck]

Check your state’s court records site. Most states let you search by name and will show case history or traffic violations.

 

[Sariah Daugherty]

If they own property look up the county assessor site. Public info name, parcel number, sale date etc.

 

[Turner Norton]

Use LinkedIn if you have a rough idea of their job title or city. Their real names usually show up there.

 

[Kylee Bowman]

Check voter registration records. Some states list name, age, address and even party affiliation publicly.

 

[Alice Baldwin]

ZabaSearch used to be solid and free. Still exists and sometimes turns up stuff others miss.

 

[Jaiden Coffey]

Reverse image search with Google or Yandex can sometimes lead to profiles you couldn’t find with name searches.

 

[tokyo]

depends friom search needs

 

[Paola Sullivan]

Classmates.com has some old directory listings especially for people who haven’t updated their info in years.