Peru, Ancash, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Peru Ancash

Title in the Language of the Record
Peru, Áncash, Registro Civil

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes birth, marriage, and death records created by civil registration offices in the department (state) of Áncash, Peru records from 1890-2005. Originals are kept by the Regional Archives of Áncash in Peru.

These records are written in Spanish; see the section "For Help Reading these Records" for translation helps.

Additional images will be published as they become available.

Collection Content
The information in each record varies by year.

Death records may include:


 * Deceased’s gender, name and age (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of birth
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Names of parents
 * Birthplaces of parents
 * Names of informant/witnesses
 * Date and place of burial

How Do I Search the Collection?
Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct. Using the index is a helpful way to find the actual record.

For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant.

Regarding marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.

To search by image: To browse the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Province" category ⇒ Select the "District" category ⇒ Select the "Record type and year" category which takes you to the images.

Look at the image and compare the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching: 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, 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.

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


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

What Do I Do Next?
To learn more about using the information in civil records, view these lessons for free:


 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish

Tips to Keep in Mind
Prior to 1821, Áncash was known as Huaylás.

Witnesses were sometimes relatives of the deceased or the deceased's parents.

When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

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.

Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?
If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding Áncash. These regions neighbor Áncash:


 * The Pacific Ocean on the West,
 * La Libertad in the North,
 * Huánuco and Pasco in the East, and
 * the Lima Regions in the South with

Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population.


 * Peru Church Records
 * Peru Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Peru Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records.

Peru Emigration and Immigration

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. Collection Citation: Image Citation: