Guatemala, Jutiapa, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Guatemala

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include birth, marriage, death, indexes and other records from 1877-1994. These were created by the civil registration offices in the department of Jutiapa, Guatemala.

The civil registration records for Guatemala cover the vital events of birth, marriages, and deaths. They are organized by municipality/city. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style; later records were handwritten in formatted registers.

As you search this collection, you will notice that some information in the records has been blacked out. Specific privacy laws in Guatemala prohibit some information classified as sensitive from being shared with the public. The information that is blacked out may be different from record type to record type, and does not negatively affect your family history research.

These records are written in Spanish. Here is a link to a Spanish Genealogical Word List which may be helpful. Also, see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

To Browse This Collection
Additional images will be published as they become available. Images courtesy of Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP).

Sample Images
Birth records may contain the following information:


 * Birth date and place
 * Name at birth
 * Gender
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Informant’s names, age, occupation, marital status, birth place, and residence
 * Document date

Marriage records may contain the following:


 * Marriage date and place
 * Groom’s name, age, occupation, birth place, resident city, and address
 * Groom’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Groom’s maternal and paternal grandparents’ names
 * Bride’s name, age, occupation, birth place, resident city, and address
 * Bride’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Bride’s maternal and paternal grandparents’ names
 * Groom’s marital status
 * Bride’s marital status
 * Document date

Death records may contain:


 * Death date and place
 * Deceased’s name, gender, and age
 * Deceased’s marital status, occupation, and parents’ names
 * Cause of death
 * Informant’s name, age, marital status, occupation, birth place, resident city and address
 * Document date

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know: Your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as resident city, age, estimated event year, and one or both of the parents’ names.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the : Search the collection by image comparing 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.
 * 1) Select Municipality
 * 2) Select Record Type and Yearsto view the images.

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


 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * The phrase “dío a luz” means the same as “was born” or “gave birth to”
 * Search for the marriage of his or her parents. The marriage record will often give you information that leads to the parents’ birth record
 * Estimate the parents’ age and search for their birth records
 * If earlier generations are not in the record, search neighboring municipios
 * Search the death records for all family members.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate Parishes in Guatemala and land records

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, Now What?

 * Consult Guatemala Record Finder to find other records
 * A boundary change could have occurred, and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Guatemala, Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records) are also a good substitute when civil records of births, marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variant spellings of the names. When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct. 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
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records. Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Guatemala, Jutiapa, Civil Registration, 1877-1994" Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. El Registro Nacional de las Personas, Ciudad de Guatemala [National Register of the People of Guatemala, Guatemala City].
 * Collection Citation:

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