Pedigree Chart Maker

Figran

Add relatives, mark affected people and carriers, and draw a pedigree with standard symbols.

  • NSGC 2022 symbols
  • Click to build or paste a table
  • Free SVG and PNG
Editing and downloads stay in this browser
Person
Symbol
Chart
Carrier:
8 people · 3 generations
Autosomal recessive pedigree chart: sickle cell diseasePIIIIIIAAI-1ASI-2ASII-1ASII-2SSIII-1ASIII-2ASIII-3AAIII-4ManWomanSickle cell diseaseCarrierPProband
III-1 · Woman · Affected

Pedigree chart examples for each inheritance pattern

Teaching examples with typical patterns. Real families need assessment by a genetics professional.

Autosomal recessive pedigree chart: sickle cell disease

Autosomal recessive pedigree chart: sickle cell diseaseIIIIIIP
Teaching example

Two carriers have affected, carrier and unaffected children; the loaded example shows AA, AS and SS genotypes.

Autosomal dominant pedigree: Huntington disease

Autosomal dominant pedigree: Huntington diseaseIIIIII
Teaching example

Affected people appear in each generation, including father-to-son transmission and a presymptomatic carrier.

X-linked recessive pedigree chart: hemophilia A

X-linked recessive pedigree chart: hemophilia AIIIIIIP
Teaching example

A carrier mother has affected and unaffected sons; a carrier daughter passes the variant to her son.

Color blindness pedigree chart (X-linked recessive)

Color blindness pedigree chart (X-linked recessive)IIIIII
Teaching example

An affected grandfather has carrier daughters; an affected father and a carrier mother have an affected daughter.

X-linked dominant pedigree: X-linked hypophosphatemia

X-linked dominant pedigree: X-linked hypophosphatemiaIIIIII
Teaching example

An affected father passes the trait to all daughters; an affected mother has affected and unaffected children.

Mitochondrial inheritance pedigree: LHON

Mitochondrial inheritance pedigree: LHONIIIIII
Teaching example

Maternal transmission with variable expression; affected fathers do not pass on mitochondrial variants.

Y-linked pedigree

Y-linked pedigreeIIIIII
Teaching example

An illustrative Y-linked trait passes from fathers to sons, while daughters are unaffected.

Consanguinity pedigree: first cousins with PKU

Consanguinity pedigree: first cousins with PKUIIIIIIIVPfirst cousins
Teaching example

First cousins are linked with a double relationship line; an affected child appears in generation IV.

Pedigree chart symbols

Symbols represent gender identity; optional notes record sex assigned at birth.

Man
Woman
Non-binary or unknown
Affected
Carrier: half
Carrier: dot
Presymptomatic carrier
Unknown status
Deceased
Proband
Consultand
Partner relationships
Line of descent and sibship line
MZ and DZ twins
Adopted in and adopted out
Sex assigned at birth (AMAB, AFAB, UAAB)

Based on NSGC standardized pedigree nomenclature: Bennett et al., 2008; 2022 gender-inclusive revision and 2025 correction.

How to make a pedigree chart

  1. 1Start with the proband, or load an example

    Select a person in the preview or use the dropdown.

  2. 2Add parents, partners, children and siblings, oldest on the left

    Build the family or paste a PED-style table.

  3. 3Mark who is affected or a carrier, then download

    Check the legend and genotypes before sharing.

Pedigree analysis: how to read inheritance patterns

Typical clues for reading a pedigree chart; these patterns alone do not establish a diagnosis.

Inheritance patternTypical clue
Autosomal dominant
  • Affected people usually have an affected parent; males and females can be affected.
  • Father-to-son transmission can occur.
Autosomal recessive
  • The trait can skip generations; parents of an affected person are usually unaffected carriers.
  • It is more common in families with consanguineous partners.
X-linked recessive
  • Affected people are more often male; transmission commonly occurs through an unaffected carrier mother.
  • There is no father-to-son transmission.
X-linked dominant
  • An affected father transmits the trait to all daughters and no sons.
  • An affected mother transmits it to about half of her children.
Mitochondrial
  • An affected mother transmits the variant to all children; expression varies.
  • Affected fathers do not transmit it.
Y-linked
  • Only males are affected.
  • An affected father transmits the trait to all sons.

Pedigree chart FAQ

What is a pedigree chart?

A pedigree chart, or pedigree diagram, is a genetic diagram of family relationships and how a trait appears across generations. A family pedigree chart uses standard symbols, relationship lines and a legend to explain the information recorded.

What do the symbols in a pedigree chart mean?

Squares, circles and diamonds represent gender identity. Filled symbols mark affected people; half-filled symbols or central dots mark carriers. An arrow with P identifies the proband. The legend explains the symbols used in your chart.

How do I make an autosomal recessive pedigree chart?

Start with relatives and their relationships, then mark affected people and known carriers. For a sickle cell pedigree chart, optional AA, AS and SS labels show hemoglobin genotypes. Show two carrier parents with half-filled symbols and fill the affected child completely. The same drawing conventions apply to cystic fibrosis and PKU. To start from a template, load the sickle cell example and edit the people and statuses.

How do I show an X-linked recessive trait such as hemophilia or color blindness?

Show affected males with filled squares and carrier females with a central dot or half-fill. There is no father-to-son transmission. A real family’s inheritance pattern needs assessment by a genetics professional.

Can I show genotypes on the chart?

Yes. Enter a genotype for each person and turn on Show genotypes. The sickle cell example includes AA, AS and SS; use the notation appropriate to the condition you are describing.

Can I import a pedigree from a table or PED file?

Paste a pedigree table in CSV or TSV format with id, father, mother, sex and affected columns. Five-column PED-style tables and PLINK FAM/PED rows with FID, IID, PAT, MAT, SEX and PHENO are also accepted. Additional genotype columns in PLINK rows are ignored.

Is a pedigree chart the same as a genogram or a family tree?

A genetic pedigree records biological relationships and the distribution of a trait. A genogram can include wider social and emotional relationships. A family tree usually focuses on ancestry rather than standardized genetic symbols.

How do I include a pedigree in a case report or paper?

Identify the proband with an arrow and P, explain the condition and carrier markings in the legend, and define abbreviations in the caption. Use initials or study identifiers instead of full names. Check consent and your journal’s requirements. SVG can be edited in PowerPoint or Illustrator.

Is it free, and is my family data private?

Yes. This free pedigree chart maker needs no account for PNG and SVG downloads. The chart is drawn in your browser: names and health details are not uploaded, and the draft stays in this browser tab. Edit in canvas needs a free account. A temporary copy passes the chart to the canvas and is deleted when the canvas opens it; unused copies expire after 30 minutes and are cleared the next time you open this tool, or if the canvas tries to open an expired copy. The canvas keeps its working draft in this browser. Saving it stores the chart in your account, exporting sends it to our server to build the file, and using the canvas AI assistant sends the chart's content to the AI provider.

Ready to draw your family pedigree?

Add relatives and record the information you know.