Marin County, California Genealogy

United States

California

Marin County

Guide to Marin County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

California Online Genealogy Records

Marin County, California
Map
Location in the state of California, United States Genealogy
Location of California in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	February 18, 1850
County Seat	San Rafael
Courthouse
Address	Marin County Courthouse 3501 Civic Center Dr San Rafael, CA 94903 Phone 415.499.6094  Marin County Website

County Information

Marin County, California Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1863	1856	1863	1900	1852	1880	1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1905. General compliance by 1920.

County Courthouse

County Recorder has birth and death records from 1863, marriage records from 1856, land records from 1852; County Clerk has divorce and court records from 1900 and probate records from 1880

Parent County

18 February 1850: Marin County was created as an original county. County seat: San Rafael

Description

The county was named for "Marin", great chief of the tribe Licatiut". The county seat San Rafael and the county was created February 18, 1850. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Belvedere Larkspur	Mill Valley Novato	San Rafael Sausalito
Towns
Corte Madera Fairfax	Ross San Anselmo	Tiburon
Unincorporated communities
Bel Marin Keys Dogtown Greenbrae	Ignacio Inverness Park Las Gallinas	Marshall Olema
Census-designated places
Alto Black Point-Green Point Bolinas Dillon Beach Inverness Kentfield Lagunitas-Forest Knolls	Lucas Valley-Marinwood Marin City Muir Beach Nicasio Point Reyes Station San Geronimo Santa Venetia	Sleepy Hollow Stenson Beach Strawberry Tamalpais Homestead Valley Tomales Woodacre

Neighboring Counties

• San Francisco
• Sonoma

Resources

Biography

• Marin County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
• Surname Index, Marin County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
• Index to Marin County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Marin, California online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave BillionGraves USGW Tombstone Transcription Project Interment.net
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Catalog WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find A Grave BillionGraves FamilySearch Places
See California Cemeteries for more information

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	323	—
1860	3,334	932.2%
1870	6,903	107.0%
1880	11,324	64.0%
1890	13,072	15.4%
1900	15,702	20.1%
1910	25,114	59.9%
1920	27,342	8.9%
1930	41,648	52.3%
1940	52,907	27.0%
1950	85,619	61.8%
1960	146,820	71.5%
1970	206,038	40.3%
1980	222,568	8.0%
1990	230,096	3.4%
2000	247,289	7.5%
2010	252,409	2.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For tips on accessing Marin County, California Genealogy census records online, see: California Census.

• 1850, 1870 - Index to Marin County Census Transcriptions (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about California denominations, view the California Church Records wiki page.

• 1864-1985 California, Church Records, 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• San Rafael

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

History

Local histories are available for Marin County, California Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the Wiki page section California Local Histories.

• Marin County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
• A Brief History of Marin County (CAGenWeb Project)

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See California Land and Property for additional information about early California land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

• Original Mexican Land Grants from Mexico in Marin between 1834 and 1846 CAGenWeb Project)

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of California (1850-1925)
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

• 1906-1935 California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Military History and Records

Civil War

• 1883 - Marin County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
• 1886 - Gen. McDowell Post No. 90, G. A. R. 1886 Civil War - Rosters (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

• 1914-1918 California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II

• Index to Marin County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
• 1946 - Marin County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1852-1989 California, Northern U.S. District Court Naturalization Index, 1852-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Marin County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a Marin County, California Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog. Do NOT use the word County. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Obituaries

• Index to Marin County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
• Marin County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
• Marin County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Corte Madera, and Tiburon areas.

Probate Records

The county clerk is usually the custodian of probate records. The records include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets.

Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.

You can obtain copies of the original probate records (such as wills and estate files) by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse.

The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for California - Marin - Probate records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1833 – 1991 California Probate Estate Files 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Oakland California FamilySearch Library
• Napa California Family History Center
• San Rafael California Family History Center
• Sonoma California Family History Center
• Vallejo California Family History Center

• California Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Societies

• Marin County Genealogical Society

Taxation

California tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page California Taxation.

Vital Records

See also How to order California Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. See the CDC Where to Write website for information on acquiring copies of these records. The State office has records since July 1905. For earlier records, contact the County Recorder.

Birth

• 1800 - 1994 California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1812 - 1988 California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1905 - 1995 California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

• Some Marin County Birth Notices, 1874-1954 (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

• 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
• 1850 - 1945 California Marriages, 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
• 1850 - 1952 California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)

• 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
• 1960 - 1985 California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
• Some Marin County Marriage Notices, 1863-1951 (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

• 1966 - 1984 California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• Marin County Divorce Index (Genealogy Trails)

Death

• 1776 - 2000 California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, some images
• 1800 - 1994 California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1905 - 1939 California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1940 - 1997 California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

• Marin County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Corte Madera, and Tiburon areas.

Voting Registers

• 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
• 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

Marin County Genealogical Society
Marin Family History Center at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
(415) 479-2200
220 North San Pedro Rd
San Rafael, CA 94903
Website

Marin County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1511
Novato 94948
Facebook

• List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Websites

• Marin County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Marin County CAGenWeb
• Linkpendium
• USGenWeb Archives
• FamilySearch Catalog
• Marin County, California Genealogy Trails
• Marin County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.