How To Find Information On Someone Online (7 Ways)

Find Someone online

Search anyone’s name to find out more about them.

Finding information has never been easier thanks to the wide amount of data that is available online. If you’re looking for info, having a basic knowledge of the tools available will make it easy for you to conduct quick and easy online searches is essential whether you’re looking for a new job, a date, or just doing some background research. 

The obvious first step when looking up people online is to start with a reliable Google search. That alone can bring a lot of data to your phone or computer screen. 

Social media platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, can be great places to learn more about someone. These social networks are a wealth of online information.

You can also learn more about someone by searching public records databases and people search engines, both of which are free to use to some extent. In this article, I’ll go over the best methods for digging up information about someone online.

Why Search For Someone’s Personal Information? 

There are many reasons you might want to search for someone’s personal information. Maybe you’re curious about an old flame, reconnecting with an old childhood friend, or a long-lost family member. Or perhaps you need to find contact information for a business associate. 

Whatever the reason for needing to find some information about a person, you can usually find what you’re looking for with a few quick and easy online searches.

For example, you can use public records databases to find out someone’s address, phone number, and other contact information. 

You can also use social media websites like Facebook and search engines like BeenVerified, which help find people and their information based on what’s out there in public records.

These are just a few of the resources to gather information online for free about someone’s personal interests, hobbies, and professional affiliations. 

In some cases, you can even use reverse phone lookup tools to find out the name and address of the person who owns a particular phone number. 

Some of these searches are easier than others, but you can find almost any personal information you need with a little bit of research.

Before jumping in too fast to scour the web for all the info you can find, it’s important to have at least a basic understanding of what type of information is public and legal and what is considered private. 

If they do not have a nondisclosure agreement in place, the following types of information are generally considered to be public:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Date of birth
  • Age
  • Employment history  
  • Most court records

However, just because this information is publicly available does not mean that it is legal to share without consent. 

There are also other types of records that are considered private or semi-private based on circumstances, and these include:

  • Medical records
  • Juvenile records
  • Some misdemeanors or civil violations
  • Disability information
  • Individual salaries (in most cases – salary laws can get complicated)

So before conducting any online searches for personal information, make sure you understand what is and isn’t legal to share.

How To Find Out Information About Someone For Free

Find Someone online

Search anyone’s name to find out more about them.

Performing a Google search is one of the simplest methods of obtaining information about another person and in many cases it’s one of the most effective. Very few people nowadays have little to no Google footprint, and the world’s largest search engine parses data at an incredible rate.

Websites that contain references to the individual and photos and other information that Google has indexed will appear in the search results for that person. 

Though it is an excellent starting point when attempting to learn more about someone or giving more resources to do so, it’s rarely the most in-depth source of information. 

If you encounter incorrect information or are out of date, you must double-check your discovered information, but this is still an excellent first step when you are trying to find people online.

2. Search Online Social Networks

Social media can be a great way to find out more about someone. You can usually find at least the basics like their full name, hometown, and sometimes even their job title. 

Try searching for the person’s name on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platforms they might use. Also, make sure you don’t forget LinkedIn!

Some people might have their profile set to private, but you can usually still find some information if you try hard enough. 

If this is the case, you might be able to find some friends of the person who can tell you more about them, or see posts from that main person on their friends’ pages that give you information or insight.

3. Reverse Image Their Photo 

Reverse image searching their photo can be a clever way to find personal blogs, old trips, or other information about a person. This can be done on several websites, including Google Images and TinEye

Simply upload the photo or paste the URL into the website, and it will show you any places where that image has been used online. 

This can help you identify the person in the photo and learn more about them. In addition, if you find the image on a social media platform, you can also view their profile to learn more.

4. Advanced People Search Tools Can Be Very Useful 

There are many different ways to find information about someone online. For example, you can use simple search engines such as Google or Yahoo or use more advanced people search tools. 

The beauty of using these advanced people tools is that they often provide much more information than the basic search engines. This is because they focus on scouring public records, social media, and any other scrap of online presence they can find about a person.

They also make it easier to find specific information about an individual person. Some of the best advanced people finder tools include BeenVerified, Spokeo, Pipl, and WhitePages.com

All three of these websites allow you to do a reverse phone lookup, which can be very useful if you want to find out who owns a particular phone number.

5. Reverse Phone Lookup 

Many websites offer reverse phone lookups for a small fee. By providing the person’s phone number, you can find out the name and address of the person associated with that number. One such website is WhitePages.com

Simply enter the phone number in the search bar on the homepage and press “search.” This will bring up a list of results, including the name and address of the person associated with that number. Another website that offers reverse phone lookups is Spokeo. 

This website also has a search bar on the homepage. However, you first need to create a free account to use it.

6. Find People with Online Public Records

Many online public records databases have plenty of information on individuals of all types. This type of database is beneficial because it allows you to search for people by name and find details on any public records like arrests, court appearances, business filings, and a variety of other public record information.

These records often contain a wealth of information about them, such as their address (or address at the time), date of birth, and criminal history. So if you’re looking for information on a specific person, these databases are a great place to get information on the individual in question. 

You can also use them to double-check the information that has been provided to you as a bonus. Let’s take a look at some of them!

Zabasearch

Zabasearch is a comprehensive people-focused search engine that you can use to find information on someone online. Just enter the person’s name and state, and Zabasearch will return a list of results, including addresses, phone numbers, and criminal records. 

It’s an excellent resource for acquiring info on people you don’t know very well. This is a great site to use if you’re trying to do a background check on someone. 

Many people are hesitant to use this site because they’re concerned about the privacy of their information.

However, Zabasearch is very careful to protect user data and they have a reputation as being one of the best online tools for finding details about someone.

VitalRec

VitalRec is an excellent resource for learning about others. This platform has a massive repository of information and allows you to use it for free. 

VitalRec has some interesting features. You can search by state or U.S. territory, and find any public info relating to:

  • Birth certificates
  • Death records
  • Marriage licenses
  • Divorce decrees
  • Information on how to obtain vital records an individual is entitled to

This resource is all about vital records and is a great source not only to find information but to get pointed in the next direction for your search.

The National Sex Offender Public Website

The National Sex Offender Public Website is a good place to begin your research for information on someone if you have those types of concerns. This website offers extensive data about documented sex offenders, including their names, addresses, photographs, and crime descriptions. 

You may use this site to look up registered sex offenders in your area. Again, the website is easy to use; all you need is the person’s name and state. 

The website also includes a search bar to help you find specific offenders. If you’re looking for information on multiple offenders, you can use the advanced search feature to narrow your results.

Military Records

If you’re looking for information regarding someone’s military service, the Department of Veterans Affairs website is a good place to start (va.gov). This website provides access to veterans’ health records, disability benefits, and other benefits, among other things. 

To find military records dating back to the Revolutionary War, you can search the National Archives Catalog database (archives.gov). 

Certain records are available online, while others can only be obtained by visiting the record’s location. The National Archives website, on the other hand, provides a free research guide that can assist you in locating the records you are looking for.

One way to try to confirm any claims a person makes about a project or art of any kind from the past is to look for their name in copyright records. Copyright records contain information about copyrighted works, such as books, songs, and articles. 

They also list the creators of these works. You can search for copyright records on the website of the United States Copyright Office

This way, you avoid copying (accidentally) from someone and can find someone by using this method.

Federal Bureau of Prisons

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a branch of the United States government responsible for administering prison facilities. 

The Bureau of Prisons website has inmate search capabilities that can assist you in locating information on someone who is currently incarcerated in a federal prison facility. 

You can look for a current inmate by entering their name, race, gender, age, and last known location into the search bar. 

In addition, the website provides information on how to communicate with inmates and their families and how to send money to inmates through the postal service.

7. Test Niche Search Engines (Free People Search Tools)

Niche search engines can be an excellent resource for finding specific information about someone online. Using these engines can often get more targeted results than you would with general search engines like Google or Bing. 

Many different niche search engines are available, so it’s essential to test a few to see which ones provide the best results for your needs. These can be people search engines, or there are engines out there that focus on a specific database of information.

It can take some searching to find one that applies, but with limited information the right engine might still provide you with some excellent results.

Each of these engines has its own unique features, so be sure to explore them all before settling on one. Let’s take a look at a few!

PeekYou

PeekYou is one of the quickest and most convenient ways to find someone online. All you need is a first name, last name, and the state where that person lives. It will provide you with all of that person’s social media profiles, photos, addresses, and other information. 

You can also use the site to reconnect with friends and family with whom you may have lost contact. If you know their email address, you can also look them up on PeekYou. 

Many people use the site to locate relatives, employers, and other information. If you require a more in-depth search, you can upgrade to a premium account.

Pipl

Pipl is a specialty search engine that allows you to find out information about anyone you are interested in. Find someone’s email address, phone number, or social media profiles by simply entering the person’s name and the state where they live. 

Pipl will return a list of results that includes the person’s age, location, and any social media profiles that they may have. 

If you want to learn more about the individual, you can view their profile by clicking on their name. People who live in a specific city or state can also be found using Pipl.

Find a Grave

Find a Grave is a website that allows users to search for and view the graves of famous people, friends and family, and loved ones. The site also includes a forum where visitors can leave comments about their experiences visiting gravesites. 

To use Find A Grave, you first need to create an account on the site. Once you have created an account, you can then conduct a search by name or location. 

If you know the city and state (or just the zip code), you can enter those into the search bar instead of searching by name. You can also limit your results to only photos, videos, or recent burials.

This is not only useful for genealogy research or confirming rumors you heard, but also for finding out where to pay respects to old friends or mentors you fell out of touch with.

Interment.net

If you’re looking to see if a person is deceased, you can also try searching Interment.net. This website contains records from over 25 million graves from around the world. You can search by name or location. It’s free to use, and you can also create an account to save your searches. 

This site is beneficial if you’re looking for information about a relative buried in another country. 

Some of the records are transcribed, which means you can also find out more about the person’s death and funeral. Also, it’s possible to order a copy of the burial record.

Wrapping Up – How Tough Is To Find Information About Someone Online?

Find Someone online

Search anyone’s name to find out more about them.

Finding general information about someone online is usually not hard. However, if you are looking for specific or detailed information, using the methods to find information outlined in this article and having basic contact details on the person in question will make the process much easier. 

The best way to find what you are looking for is by using multiple online tools and using the combined information from these tools to get the most up-to-date information available on the person. 

Many people choose to use social media platforms to gather information but be aware that what is shared on the internet may not be completely accurate. 

Make sure to also check out these specific guides to successfully acquire background check level info:

Remember, always use caution when researching someone online and never give out personal information without verifying it first. Happy searching!


Written by Shane Dayton

Shane, an MFA grad and seasoned online writer, specializes in security and privacy, using his vast state-to-state travel experiences to guide readers through the complexities of information safety in a digital world. Read more of Shane's articles.