GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Sweden Marriages

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find marriage information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the marriage section of the Sweden Guided Research page.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1631-1900s: Denmark Marriages - ($)

Additional Records with Marriage Information
Substitute records can contain information about more than one event, and are used when records for an event are not available. Because the substitute records may not be created at the time of the event, it may contain incorrect information. Search for as many substitute records as possible to collaborate information found in substitute records to help improve accuracy.

Tips for finding marriages
Success with finding marriage records in online databases depends on a few key points:
 * Your ancestor's name may misspelled. Try the following search tactics:
 * Try searching for the husband instead of the wife, or vice versa.
 * Try different spelling variations of the first and last name of your ancestor (e.g. Niels, Nils).
 * Try a given name search (leave out the last names).
 * The use of patronymic surnames in Sweden was banned in 1901, making surnames permanent through generations. (See this article for more information.)
 * Women began adopting their husband's surname in documents in the late 1800s/early 1900s.


 * Expand the date range of the search.
 * Try searching with the county name only instead of by parish.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start Beginning in 1686, the clergy was required to keep marriage records including the names of bride and groom as well as the names of the parents. Earlier records may not have been recorded, or may have been lost or damaged.

Records Published Collection coverage tables show the places and time periods of original records published. Check the coverage table for the collections you searched which did not include your ancestor. Gaps in the online collection may require searches in other records or original marriage records at an archive.


 * Sweden Marriages 1630-1920, Coverage Table - Clergy was required to record marriages starting in 1686. Any marriages recorded earlier are inconsistent across the country.

Records destroyed Any known record loss will be mentioned on the parish page. Locate your parish by navigating to the parish page starting here.