Nicaragua Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
Nicaragua | |
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Flag of the Republic of Nicaragua | |
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Location of Nicaragua | |
Record Description | |
Record Type: | Civil Records |
Collection years: | 1809-2013 |
Language: | Spanish |
Title in the Language: | Registro Civil, Nicaragua |
FamilySearch Resources | |
Related Websites | |
Archive | |
Archivo Del Registro del Estado Civil De las Personas de Managua, Nicaragua |
Contents
What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]
The civil registration in Nicaragua was created to record the events of birth, marriage, death, and other civil events. These records would determine and prove the civil status, existence, and condition of the population. Civil registration is mandatory in Nicaragua; therefore most of the population has been registered.
Before the government instituted civil registration in Nicaragua, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths events of the population. The first civil registration law was created on January 30, 1879.
As a civil registration office was established in each city, town, and villa of the country, the mayor was assigned as the responsible party for the registration within his jurisdiction. He could name a custodian officer, who would be responsible in creating separate registers of births, marriages, deaths, and reasons for the civil status only within their jurisdiction.
In 1899, this law was changed to include other civil registration events such as: the recognition of illegitimate children, emancipation and age majority declarations, divorces, annulments, absentee declarations, and others. The registers of the Catholic Church created before this law were transferred to the municipality for control.
These civil records have been preserved relatively well. Some of the older registers may have some physical damage; however, in general they are still in good condition to extract genealogical information.
As of 3 March 2018, this collection included records from the following departments of Nicaragua:
Department |
---|
Boaco |
Carazo |
Chinandega |
Chontales |
León |
Managua |
Masaya |
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte |
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur |
Rivas |
Reading These Records[edit | edit source]
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records please see the following:
- Spanish Genealogical Word List
- BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
- FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
- Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish
To Browse This Collection[edit | edit source]
You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the browse page for Nicaragua, Civil Registration, 1809-2013. |
Image Visibility[edit | edit source]
Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images.
For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.
What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]
The following information is usually found in these records:
Birth records | Marriage records | Death records |
Date and place of birth | Date and place of marriage | Name of deceased |
Child’s name and gender | Groom’s name, age and origin | Date, place and time of death |
Legitimacy | Groom’s occupation and residence | Cause of death |
Parents’ names | Bride’s name, age and origin | Legitimacy of deceased |
Parents’ age, race, status and residence | Bride’s occupation and residence | Civil status and occupation of deceased |
Occupation of father and mother | Names of witnesses | Name of spouse, if married |
Names of witnesses | Parents’ names | |
Parents’ civil status and residence | ||
Names of witnesses | ||
Sometimes, burial information |
Collection Content[edit | edit source]
Sample Images[edit | edit source]
How Do I Search This Collection?[edit | edit source]
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
- Your ancestor's given name and surname
- Identifying information such as residence
- Estimated marriage or birth year
Search the Index[edit | edit source]
Search by name by visiting the Collection Details Page.- Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
- Click Search to show possible matches
View the Images[edit | edit source]
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page:
- Select Department
- Select City or Municipality
- Select Parish or district
- Select Record Type and Years to view the images.
How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]
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.
What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- 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
- Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
- Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
- Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives 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
I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]
- Use the residence and names of the parents to locate Nicaragua, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records and land records
- Church records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
- There may be more than one person with the same name
- Even though this is an index there may still be inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned
- A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
- Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records
- Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
- New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections. Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records
Research Helps[edit | edit source]
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Nicaragua.
Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]
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.
Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection. |
Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information. |
Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. |
How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?[edit | edit source]
We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. We are looking for additional information that will help readers understand the topic and better use the available records. We also need translations for collection titles and images in articles about records written in languages other than English. For specific needs, please visit WikiProject FamilySearch Historical Records/Guidelines for Articles. Please follow these guidelines as you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide. |