New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

New Zealand

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to birth, marriage, and death records. The original records are located in the Archives New Zealand in Wellington, New Zealand.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * First and last name of child
 * Date of birth
 * Location of birth
 * First and last name of mother
 * First and last name of father

Marriage
 * Date of wedding
 * Location of wedding
 * Bride's first and last name
 * Groom's first and last name

Death
 * Date of death
 * Location of death
 * First and last name of deceased person
 * Date of birth
 * Age at death

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information: As you search, compare your results with this information to find a match.
 * Name of the person
 * Date range for the record

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?

 * Copy down all the information from the index entry
 * Cite the record. See below for help citing this collection
 * If possible, get a copy of the original record. Not only is it good research practice to have copies of original documents in your records, but the original record may also contain more information than has been listed in the index. See the tip box above for help finding the original
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in a record to estimate a year of birth, if that has not been found
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, and parents. Family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to help with this decision. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. An individual might appear under a different name in a record for a variety of reasons:
 * An individual might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name
 * Misspellings, especially of uncommon names, occurred regularly
 * Some women returned to their maiden names after the death of their husbands
 * Vary the search terms. For example, either expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of search results

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in New Zealand.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.