Wales Genealogy

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

Background Information
Wales is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (together with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and is located in the western part of Britain. From its original Celtic origins, a distinct Welsh national identity emerged in the centuries after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century. The country is bilingual, with both Welsh and English (predominant) being official languages. Birth, Death, Marriage and Military records for Wales are listed with English records.

Counties
Most researchers will be researching with the context of these historic counties. Wales, like many other countries, has seen much reorganization over time and it may be necessary to search in several counties.

See the relevant county pages for further information.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in researching your family.
 * FamilySearching Genealogy Research Groups - Online groups discussing genealogy research
 * Historical Records
 * Family History Center locator map
 * at FamilySearch — index

Research Tutorials

 * Blessings and Curses of Tracing Welsh Ancestry
 * England and Wales Civil Registration
 * How to Trace Ancestry in England/Wales' Civil Registration Records Using Online BMD Indexes
 * England and Wales Census Records 1841-1911 Indexes
 * England Resources for Family History at Findmypast
 * British Resources on Ancestry - Parts 1 and 2
 * British Resources on FamilySearch.org - Parts 1 and 2