Orange County, California Genealogy

United States California Orange County

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

County Courthouse (Superior Court)
Orange County Courthouse 12 Civic Center Place Santa Ana, CA 92701 Phone: 714.834.2500 714.834.2500 

County Recorder has birth, marriage, death and land records County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1964

Orange County Clerk-Recorder, 630 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701. (714) 834-2500 (714) 834-2500 . Holdings include birth, death and marriage certificates (1889-current) and property records (1954-current).

European Discovery and Mission Period
Gaspar de Portola and a party of sixty-two men first entered what is now Orange County on July 22, 1769. Orange County’s only mission, San Juan Capistrano, was founded in 1776. During the Mission Period the area was under the military jurisdiction of the presidio at San Diego and under the rule of Spain. The Mission Period ended following the Secularization Act of 1833 and, while most of the mission communities disintegrated rapidly, the village of San Juan Capistrano survived.

See the wiki article California Land and Property for help with locating records from this period.

Rancho Days
The only Spanish grant in what is now Orange County was Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. This grant to Antonio Yorba and Pablo Peralta was a very large grant made in 1810 covering the areas to the east and south of the Santa Ana River. Spain’s authority ended in1821 and grants made after this were by the Mexican government. For a detailed description of the method of land granting by the Mexicans see “Land Grant Policies an the Ranchos” by William McPherson The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in January 1848 ended the war with Mexico and the United States acquired California along with much other territory. The United States agreed to honor the many existing Mexican land grants but many had unclear title. The Americans wanted land and some of it was purchased and some taken.

See the wiki article California Land and Property for help with locating records from this period.

Spanish and Mexican Land grant maps can be purchased through the California Secretary of State. See the available list at Spanish and Mexican Land Grant Maps, 1855–1875.

Formation of Orange County
When California became a state in 1850, the area of what is now Orange County became part of Los Angeles County. As the area grew, dissatisfaction with the distance from the governing seat of Los Angeles grew as did interest in separating from Los Angeles County. In 1889, at the time of creation of the county, there were only three incorporated cities, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Orange. Oranges were not common in this county at the time that the suggestion of Orange County was made in 1871. “…to encourage immigration, the area was boomed by real estate promoters as a semi-tropical paradise—a place where anything could grow… The name orange has a Mediterranean flavor about it, so for that reason it was selected to suggest our climate…By 1889, after a devastating blight wiped out the grape industry, oranges had indeed become our most promising crop, even if they were not responsible per se for the county’s naming”

Parent County
1 August 1889: Orange County was created from Los Angeles County, per Orange County Archives. County seat: Santa Ana

Orange is the third largest county by population, preceeded by (1)Los Angeles and (2)San Diego Counties, according to the California State Association of Counties

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
For a list of record loss in California counties see: California Counties with Burned Courthouses

Populated Places
Anaheim, the home of Disneyland, is the most populated city in Orange County. It was first settled by Germans in 1854 who named the city. It was incorporated in 1857. The name refers to the fact that it is the "home" of the Santa "Ana" River. The northern part of the county is heavily populated and the southern area is growing rapidly.

Census
The first census in which you will find Orange County is the 1900 US Population Schedule. Orange County census records include 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.

Cities and unincorporated areas in present-day Orange County are included with the County of Los Angeles for the US Population Schedules 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.

Industry and Agriculture Schedules exist for Los Angeles County including the areas of Orange County for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Mortality Schedules also exist for Los Angeles County including the areas of Orange County for the years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.

The state of California took one state census in 1852 which includes the areas of Orange County as part of Los Angeles County. This census images are available through Ancestry.com ($) and a name index is avaliable through FamilySearch.org,.

Roman Catholic
The first Catholic missions were organized in 1769. Most of the mission records begin in 1770 and are on film. The Family History Library and the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley have extensive collections of the early records. For the index to these records, see:

Temple, Thomas W. An Alphabetical Listing of the California Mission Vital Records. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1985. FHL Collection 1307621 item 4; fiche 6047009

The following sources may help you find Catholic mission records:

Weber, Francis J. A Select Guide to California Catholic History. Los Angeles, California: Westernlore Press, 1966. FHL Collection 979.4 K21c Bowman, J.N. "The Parochial Books of the California Missions, 1961," The Quarterly (Historical Society of Southern California)], Vol. 43, No. 3. FHL Collection 979.4 B2s Barton, Noel R. "Genealogical Research in the Records of the California Missions," Genealogical Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1. FHL Collection 973 D25gj v. 3-4 (1974-1975)

Many original mission records and other Catholic records have been gathered into central repositories. These include:

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens website features the Early California Population Project (ECPP) which provides public access to all the information contained in California's historic mission registers. Records include baptism, marriage and burial records for each of the California missions including the San Juan Capitstrano Mission in Orange County. Records include information on Indians, soldiers, and settlers of Alta California from 1769-1850.

The Diocese of Orange 2811 East Villa Real Drive Orange, CA 92867-1999 Phone: (714) 282-3000 <span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 282-3000 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />

Mailing Address P.O. Box 14195 Orange, CA 92863-1595

Court History and Records
Orange County Clerk-Recorder, 630 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701. <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 834-2500 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 834-2500 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />. Holdings include birth, death and marriage certificates (1889-current) and property records (1954-current).

See also: Orange County Archives

The main criminal courthouse is at 700 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana, California. There are three branch courts but even more locations. North Court is in Fullerton. West Court is in Westminster. Harbor Court has locations in Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel and Laguna Hills. The Lamoreaux Justice Center is in Orange.

History
The greatest repositories of Local Histories are at the Orange County Family History Center, 674 South Yorba, Orange, California, and the collection of the Orange County Genealogical Society, located at the Huntington Beach Public Library, 7111 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach, California. Also noted is the Orange Public Library and History Center, 407 East Chapman Avenue, Orange, California <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 288-2400 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 288-2400 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />


 * The History of Orange County California with Bigraphical Sketches; Samuel Armour, supervising Editor; Historic Record Company,Los Angeles, CA, 1911 (FHL US/CAN Film 1000115 Item 1)
 * History of Orange County California; Mrs. J.E. Pleasants; J.R. Finnell &amp; Sons Publishing Co, Los Angeles, CA; 1931 (FHL US/CAN Fiche 6209824 )

Immigration
Naturalization records, 1889-1944 Orange County (California). County Clerk, at FamilySearch.org

California, Southern District Court (Central) Naturalization Index, 1915-1976 at FamilySearch.org

Also see information in the California Emigration and Immigration wiki article.

Land and Property
See the wiki article California Land and Property for help with locating records from the early period of the area of Orange County.

Orange County, California, declarations of homesteads, 1889-1926 ; index, 1890-1926 through FamilySearch.org

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * Orange County GenWeb maps of Orange County



Military History and Records
Civil War Veterans buried in Orange County is a project compiled by the Orange County California Genealogical Society.

Civil War Roundtable of Orange County California is a local organization interested in the study of the Civil War and preservation of its battlefields and historic sites with a particular interest in Orange County, California. Their website includes The Civil War Legacy of Orange County and Orange County Civil War Grave Registration.

The site Santa Ana History includes additional information about Civil War Veterans Graves of Orange County, California.

Newspapers
The County is served by the Orange County Register and the Orange County edition of the Los Angeles Times. The Orange Family History Center has a collection of Microfilmed L.A. Times archives (incomplete) and there are additional collections at the University of California, Irvine; California State University, Fullerton and the Mission Viejo city library.

There are many community based newspapers as well some of which are available at Chronicling America. Orange County area newspapers are also available at Chronicling America for the years [http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=California&county=Los+Angeles&city=&year1=1690&year2=1900&terms=&frequency=&language=&ethnicity=&labor=&material_type=&lccn=&rows=20 prior to 1900 under Los Angeles. ]

Saddleback News index to microfilm – Birth, marriages and deaths in south Orange County from 1969 – 1989: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/svnvitals.html. Indexed by the South Orange County Genealogy Society (2013 - 2014). The images of the Saddleback News newspaper (no longer being published) are available on microfilm at the Mission Viejo, CA city library.

An excellent archive of newspapers is available at the Orange County Archives. See: Repositories

Obituaries
Saddleback News index to microfilm – Birth, marriages and deaths in south Orange County from 1969 – 1989 - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/svnvitals.html. Indexed by the South Orange County Genealogy Society (2013 - 2014). The images of the Saddleback News newspaper are available on microfilm at the Mission Viejo, CA library.

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — images

Archives, Libraries and Museums
For records prior to 1960:

Orange County Archives, Jean O. Pasco, Director Old Orange County Courthouse Room 101 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. Santa Ana, CA, 92701 <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 834-2536 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 834-2536 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />

Huntington Beach Central Library 7111 Talbert Ave Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Phone: <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 842-4481 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 842-4481 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" /> , Ext. 2227 GENEALOGY DEPARTMENT The Library’s collection of over 18,000 genealogical books is maintained by the Orange County California Genealogical Society (OCCGS). The Genealogy collection is housed at the Central Library and is for reference use only (items cannot be checked out). The public is welcome to attend general membership meetings which are held the first Saturday of each month (except for June and December) at the Central Library. For more information, please visit http://www.occgs.com

Anaheim Heritage Center 241 S. Anaheim Blvd <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">714-765-6453 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">714-765-6453 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />

Jane K. Newell, Heritage Services Manager

digital ANAHEIM

County Courthouse

 * Orange County California Government

The Courthouse (Superior court) is not a recommended source for Genealogical Data.

The County Recorder is where most vital record and land records are housed, but most of the vital records are now protected by California law, and the Recorder would be of little help except to immediate relatives.

Orange County Clerk-Recorder, 630 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701. <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 834-2500 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 834-2500 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />.

For records prior to 1960:

Orange County Archives, Jean O. Pasco, Director Old Orange County Courthouse Room 101 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. Santa Ana, California, 92701 <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 834-2536 <span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 834-2536 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />

Collections include:

BIOGRAPHY: The Orange County Archives has a wide array of biographies of early and notable local residents.

CEMETERIES: The Orange County Archives has interment listings for the Yorba Cemetery, Anaheim Cemetery, El Toro Cemetery, Santa Ana Cemetery (the old section of Fairhaven Memorial Park), Magnolia Memorial Park, and Ascension Cemetery.

DIRECTORIES: The Orange County Archives have a large set of local directories (1872-current).

HISTORY: The historical reference library held by the Orange County Archives is cataloged at http://www.librarything.com/home/OCARCHIVES

LAND AND PROPERTY: The Orange County Archives has all the property records from Orange County from 1889 to 1953, including indices, deeds, mortgages, homesteads, reconveyances, and other Official Records. These same record series, post-1953, can be found at the Orange County Clerk-Recorder's Office.

MAPS: The Orange County Archives has thousands of maps, from the 1860s through today.

MILITARY: The Orange County Archives have military discharge papers (DD-214s from WWI through the 1970s) and also information about local World War I veterans.

NATURALIZATION &amp; CITIZENSHIP: The Orange County Archives has ALL the naturalization documentation from Orange County from 1889 to the early 1980s.

NEWSPAPERS: Newspaper holdings at the Orange County Archives include,... Fullerton newspapers (1909-1925) Huntington Beach News (1908-1956) Laguna Life (1936-1938) Laguna Beach (News) Post (1949-1988) Santa Ana Journal (1935-1938) Santa Ana Register (1925-1929, 1936-1939) South Coast News (1930-1967) Laguna Hills Leisure World News (1965-1987) Other South Orange County newspapers (1965-1988)

PERIODICALS: The Orange County Archives contain an assortment of local magazines, including a run of Orange County Illustrated from 1964 to 1977.

TAXATION: Orange County assessment records (1889-1962) are held by the Orange County Archives. Later records are held by the Orange County Assessor's office.

BURIAL RECORDS: Orange County Archives hold burial indexes (1889-1931) as well as an incomplete set of early burial certificates for the northern part of the County.

VOTER REGISTRATION: The original Great Register of Voters (1890-1968) is available at the Orange County Archives. The earlier Great Registers include additional information that does not appear in other copies and transcriptions available elsewhere.

Family History Centers
Orange County FamilySearch Library, formerly Orange Family History Center

Located: 674 South Yorba St., Orange, California 92869 (Located in the rear of the LDS Church)

Hours: Tuesday -Thursday 9:00 AM-9:00 PM (except 2nd Thursday when we close at 6:30 PM for Staff Meeting) Friday &amp; Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Closed Sunday and Monday to the Public

Closed the first two weeks of August; week of Thanksgiving; last two weeks of December. Phone: <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">(714) 997-7710 <span dir="ltr" class="skype_c2c_container"><span dir="ltr" class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">(714) 997-7710 <span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span" />


 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Anaheim California Family History Center
 * Cypress California Family History Center
 * El Toro California FM Group
 * Garden Grove California Family History Center (Westminister)
 * Huntington Beach California Family History Center
 * Huntington Beach California North Family History Center
 * Irvine California Family History Center
 * Laguna Niguel California Family History Center (Aliso Viejo)
 * Mission Viejo California Family History Center
 * Newport Beach California Family History Center
 * Santa Margarita California Family History Center (Rancho Santa Margarita)

Genealogy and Historical Societies

 * Orange County California Genealogical Society- OCCGS
 * Genealogical Society of North Orange County, California-GSNOCC
 * South Orange County California Genealogical Society-SOCCGS
 * Native American Institute
 * Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research (SHHAR)

A digital archive of nearly 2,000 photographs of the City of Anaheim. 

The Anaheim Historical Society

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Guidelines For Ordering Vital Records to visit the County site for vital records

CSGA CA Research Aid - Birth and Marriage Records

CSGA CA Research Aid - Death Records

Due to identity theft, California Law now restricts vital records access to immediate family. The Orange Regional Family History Center has access to state-wide databases of Births, Deaths, Marriages and voter registrations. These were compiled before the change in California law, and are not complete. Birth is available to 1986 Death to 1993 Voter registration to 1993 There are also marriage records available at The Western States Marriages at Brigham Young University-Idaho

Orange County GenWeb Vital Records MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, DEATHS FROM THE SANTA ANA REGISTER submitted by Kerry Hallas

Available at FamilySerch.org

California, Death Index, 1905-1939 browse. Also available on RootsWeb.

California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985

Ancestry.com $ has the following collections of vital records that include Orange County.


 * California Birth Index, 1905-1995
 * California Marriage Index, 1960-1985
 * California Death Index, 1940-1997

Voter Registration
1890: The California 1890 Great Register of Voters Index, compiled by the California State Genealogical Alliance, is available at the Orange County Family History Center

Also available on fiche at the same location are:


 * 1993 Orange County Voters Index
 * 1996 Orange County Voters Index
 * 1981-1982 Ownership Index
 * 1989-1990 Address Register
 * 1991-1992 California Property Owners

Available at Ancestry.com ($)

California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Orange County California Genealogical Society c/o Huntington Beach Central Library 7111 Talbert Avenue Huntington Beach, California 92648 Phone: 714-536-5549 Website

GSNOCC P.O. Box 706 Yorba Linda, CA 92885-0706 email:[mailto:GSNOCC@GMAIL.COM] Website

Orange County California Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1587 Orange 92668 Website

Orange County Historical Commission 2002 North Main Santa Ana 92706

Orange County Historical Commission 211 West Santa Ana Blvd Santa Ana, CA 92701 Phone: 714-973-6609

Orange County Jewish Genealogical Society Tel: 949-423-3746 PO Box 7141 Newport Beach, CA 92658 Email:[mailto:info@ocjgs.org] Website


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Web Sites

 * Orange County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Orange County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site
 * Online Archive of California