Hungary Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Hungary

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of vital records from Hungary for the years 1895-1980. The original records are maintained by each individual civil registration office (anyakönyvi hivatal); copies are made and submitted to the County Archives. The copies in the County Archives were microfilmed and subsequently digitized into the images in this collection.

Civil registration was instituted in Hungary on October 1, 1895 so that the government might have a record of vital events useful in compiling statistics about the people in Hungary. The records are bound volumes of pre-printed forms with event information recorded by hand. From 1895 through 1906, the forms are one page per event; beginning with 1907 each event occupies one row in a printed table, so there are multiple events recorded per page. Remember, there are restrictions as to which records are available for viewing. Only birth records 90 years old or older, marriage records 60 years old or older, and death records 30 years old or older have been made available by the Hungarian government.

The registration has two formats:
 * The pre-1907 format can be located by clicking on the Hungary Civil Registration link below.
 * The post-1907 format is located on this page.

Both formats have valuable English translation guides to the records. An extract of these records has also been created and is being moved into the wiki article: Hungary Civil Registration, Birth and Marriage Extracts (Family Search Historical Records)

Reading These Records
These records are in Hungarian. For help reading the records, see the following resources:
 * Hungary Genealogical Word List
 * Hungary Civil Registration, Birth and Marriage Extracts (Family Search Historical Records)
 * Hungary Language and Languages

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following list indicates potential information provided in these records. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all the listed information, as record-keeping practices varied greatly over time.

Collection Content
This collection contains birth, marriage, and death records. Birth and death constitute approximately equal portions of the collection, with marriage records making up a smaller part.

For additional details about these records and help using them see Hungary Civil Registration, Birth and Marriage Extracts (Family Search Historical Records).

Coverage Table
For a list of the localities, record types, and date ranges included in this collection, refer to Hungary Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records Coverage Table.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor’s given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated birth year

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select County
 * 2) Select Town or Registration District
 * 3) Select Record Type and Date Range to view the images.

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?

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Note that 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 a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records
 * Check for variants of given names and surnames; simple clerical errors were always possible. In addition, spelling was not standardized for much of the period of this collection, so pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation. Individuals could also be listed under a middle name, or abbreviation of their given name. For women, it was not uncommon to revert to a maiden name after the death of a husband
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Alternatively, try expanding the date range
 * Search the records of nearby locations

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Hungary.
 * 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.