Guatemala Genealogy

Central America Guatemala

Guide to Guatemala ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Getting started with Guatemala research

 * Getting Started
 * Guatemala Quick Start Guide
 * Locating Place of Origin
 * Finding Records
 * Guatemala Resources
 * Improve your Search Results

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Guatemala General History
The following is taken from a book “Guatemala the Land of the Quetzal” by William T. Brigham. A facsimile reproduction of the 1887 Edition. Unitversity of Florida Press, Gainesville, 1965. Library of Congress catalog Card No. 65-14894 pages 265-268, 271, 281, and 283" "'Immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, there were 19 tribes or families identified as follows: Mam; Ixil; Aguacateca; Uspanteca; Poconchi; Quekchi; Chol; Mopan; Quiche; Tzutohil; Cakchiquel; Pipil; Sinca; Pupuluca; Pokomam; Chorti; Alaguilac; Maya and Carib. In 1523, Cortez commanded Pedro de Alvarado to leave the City of Mexico at the head of 300 infantry, 4 cannon, 200 Tlaxcaltecas and 100 Mexicans to conquer Guatemala. Alvarado destroyed wave after wave of resistance with a great slaughter. The Spaniards loss was only a few men and horses. A decisive battle was fought on a plain between Quezaltenango and Totonicapan. Alvarado writes to Cortez that it was composed of twelve thousand men from Utatlan and countless numbers from the neighboring towns. Those not killed were taken prisoner and branded on the cheek and thigh and sold as slaves at public auctions with 1/5 of their price belonging to the King of Spain. By 1524 the last legitimate sovereigns of the native Guatemalan rulers surrendered and were executed. For almost three hundred years (1524 – 1821) Spain governed Central America. Every act of oppression that could be exercised upon the Indios was invented by the foreign rulers and the native population was greatly reduced by mismanagement. On 15 September 1821, Gavino Gainza, a representative of Spain, sympathetic to the locals, joined local rebels to declare independence from Spain.”"

Jurisdictions
The largest jurisdictions in Guatemala are called 'Departments'. These are analogous to States or Provinces in other countries. There are 22 Departments of Guatemala.

Featured Content

 * Parishes of Guatemala

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:


 * Guatemala Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Guatemala Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Central America, Colonial Census Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Guatemala Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Guatemala Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Guatemala Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Guatemala, Guatemala City, 1877 General Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Research Tools

 * Websites
 * Research Guide:

BYU Research Outline for Guatemala


 * Listing of all records collections for Guatemala available on FamilySearch.org

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