San Diego County, California Genealogy

Guide to San Diego County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. 

County Courthouse
Superior Court records from 1850. Superior Court has probate, civil and divorce records.

Main County Courthouse

220 W. Broadway

San Diego, CA 92101

Courthouse website

County Administration Building
County Clerk Recorder has birth records from 1857 marriage records from 1856 death records from 1873 and land records from 1850’s.

www.co.san-diego.ca.us/

Parent County
18 February 1850: San Diego County was created as an original county. County seat: San Diego

Description
The county seat San Diego and the county was created February 18, 1850. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties

 * Imperial
 * Orange
 * Riverside

Biography

 * San Diego County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to San Diego County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to San Diego County Biographical and Genealogical Resources (CAGenWeb Project)
 * San Diego County Pioneers (Genealogy Trails)

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on San Diego  County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.


 * 1850 - 1960 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Census

 * 1850 - U.S. Census, San Diego County, California (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 - at FamilySearch — index

Court Records
San Diego Superior Court records are maintained at several courthouse locations and at a records warehouse.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1904-1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905-1923 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1929-1954 - at FamilySearch — index

History

 * San Diego County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property

 * Index to Federal Land Records, San Diego County (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)

Migration

 * 1929-1954 - at FamilySearch — index

Military History and Records

 * Obituaries for Military Veterans - Scroll down to Obituaries. (USGenWeb Archives)

Civil War

 * 1883 - San Diego County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 - Civil War Veterans, Heintzelman Post No. 33, G. A. R. 1886

World War II

 * San Diego County, World War II Army Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

California, San Diego Naturalization Index (FaamilySearch Historical Records)

Obituaries

 * Index to San Diego County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Surname Index to San Diego County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1909 - 1910 - Obituary Index to San Diego Union

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1782 - 1999 - California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 - 1991 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1848 - 1900 - Abstracts of Wills, 1848 to 1900, San Diego County, California, on film, office of the County Clerk at FamilySearch — images
 * 1849 - 1899 - Index to San Diego County Wills, 1849-1899 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to San Diego County Wills (USGenWeb Archives)

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Carlsbad City Library - click on "Genealogy" on right side for details.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Escondido California Family History Center
 * Escondido, California
 * Jamul California Family History Center
 * Jamul, California
 * Penasquitos California Family History Center
 * San Diego, California
 * Poway California Family History Center
 * San Diego, California
 * San Diego California East Family History Center
 * San Diego, California
 * San Diego California FamilySearch Library
 * San Diego, California
 * San Diego California Sweetwater Family History Center
 * Bonita, California
 * Vista California Family History Center
 * Vista, California

Societies
Alpine Historical Society

Carlsbad Historical Society

Chula Vista Genealogical Society

Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego

Congress of History of San Diego and Imperial Counties

Coronado Historical Museum

Del Mar History

El Cajon Historical Society

Encinitas Historical Society

Escondido History Center

Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego

Lakeside Historical Society

Lemon Grove Historical Society

Oceanside Historical Society

Poway Historical and Memorial Society

Guy B Woodward Museum

Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society

San Diego Chinese Historical Museum

San Diego Genealogical Society

San Diego History Center

San Dieguito Heritage Museum

San Marcos Historical Society

Santee Historical Society

Solana Beach Civil and Historical Society

Spring Valley Historical Society

Temecula Valley Historical Society

Valley Center Historical Society

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1905 - 1995 - at FamilySearch — index
 * San Diego County Birth Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 - California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1850 - 1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * San Diego County Marriage Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

 * 1966 - 1984 - at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1800 - 1994 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - 1939 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1940 - 1997 - at FamilySearch — index
 * San Diego County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the San Diego, Oceanside, Chula Vista, Escondido, San Marcos, El Cajon and Carlsbad areas.
 * San Diego County Death Records (Genealogy Trails)

Voting Registers
California county clerks were to keep voting registers every other year from 1866 and well into the 20th century. These large books, called Great Registers, listed the men who registered to vote in that county. Besides name and age, the record may show place of birth, address, occupation, naturalization date and sometimes even a physical description.

These records are at the California State Library (1866-1944), and microfilmed copies are available through Family History Centers (1866-1910). Ancestry ($) has a searchable database of San Diego Great Registers from 1867-1898.

The San Diego records indexes for 1866-1879 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
British Isles Genealogical Research Association PO Box 19775 San Deigo, CA 92159-0775

Chula Vista Genealogical Society P. O. Box 3024 Chula Vista, CA 91909 Website

El Cajon Historical Society PO Box 1973 El Cajon, CA 9220

Escondido Genealogical Society, Inc. Escondido, CA 92033-2190

San Diego Genealogical Society 2925 Kalmia Street San Diego 92104 Website

San Diego Historical Society P.O. Box 81825 San Diego 92138

San Diego African-American Genealogy Research Group (SDAAGRG) P.O. Box 741956 San Diego, CA 92174-1956

San Diego Genealogical Society 7343 Ronson Road Suite O San Diego, CA 92111-1430 Phone: (858) 279-7347

San Diego County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 422 Ramona, CA 92065

Fallbrook Historical Society PO Box 1375 Fallbrook CA 92088

Gaslamp Black Hist Society PO Box 1122469 San Diego, CA 92112-2469

Julian Historical Society PO Box 513 Julian, CA 92036

La Jolla Historical Society PO Box 2085 La Jolla CA 92038

La Mesa Historical Society PO Box 882 La Mesa CA 92044

North San Diego County Genealogical Society PO Box 581 Carlsbad CA 92008PO Website

Ramona Pioneer Historical Society PO Box 625 Ramona, CA 92065 San Diego African American Genealogy Research Group PO Box 740240 San Diego, CA 92174-0240

San Diego History Center PO Box 81825 San Diego, CA 92138

San Diego Jewish Genealogical Society PO Box 927089 San Diego, CA 92192-7089

Shrine Foundation Historical Society 2482 San Diego Avenue San Diego, CA 92110

Vista Historical Society 2317 Old Foothill Drive Vista, CA 92084


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * San Diego County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * San Diego County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * San Diego County, USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * San Diego, California Genealogy Trails
 * San Diego County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)