Armenia Church Book - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Հայաստան, ծխական գրանցումների մատյաններ

Record Description
This is a collection of church records of various religions as gathered by the National Archives of Armenia. However, the majority of the records are those of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It includes records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths from 1838 to 1929.

Record Content
Baptismal records may contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name of individual
 * Birth date
 * Parents’ names
 * Grandparents’ names (sometimes)

Marriage records may contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the couple
 * Date of birth or ages
 * Parents’ names
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Residences

Death and burial records may contain the following information:


 * Date and place of death
 * Deceased name
 * Age at death
 * Marital status
 * If married, the spouse’s name
 * Sometimes the parents’ names
 * Burial place

How to Use the Record
As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

If you are unable to find your ancestors try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial collection page ⇒ Select the “Province” ⇒ Select the “Place, Parish” ⇒ Select the “Year, Volume, Record Type” which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Armenian. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:

Armenian Alphabet -Hayeren-

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Related Websites

 * National Archives of Armenia
 * Armenian Genealogy &amp; Family History Resources
 * Armenian Catholic Church
 * Armenian Church in Armenian
 * Map of Armenia 1865
 * A History of Armenia
 * Armenian Websites

Related Wiki Articles

 * Armenia
 * Christian Church Records in Turkey
 * Armenian Localities
 * Armenian Geography

Citation for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: