France Directories

Directories are alphabetical lists of names and addresses. In the twentieth century there are directories of all those who have telephones.

The most helpful directories are telephone directories of local residents and businesses. These are usually published annually and may include an individual's name and address. An individual's address can be very helpful when you are trying to contact distant relatives.

The FamilySearch Library has many telephone directories of France, but they are not cataloged. These directories date from about 1980 or later. Each directory covers one department, with each town listed separately, showing people's names in alphabetical order. Ask someone at the information desk to locate these directories. They are not available at family history centers.

A French computer network, Minitel, can search the computer telephone directory of France. Minitel is accessible in the U.S. and some other foreign nations. See the "Archives and Libraries" section for additional details.

Online Resources

 * 1997-2007 France, Phone Book Indexes, 1997-2007 at Ancestry — index, ($)

City directories (Répertoires d’adresses)
Research use: Used to locate residents in large cities, to determine parish jurisdictions, and to identify occupations and residence over a period of time.

Record type: Directories of residents of larger cities.

Time Period: 1700-present.

Content: Residents’ names, addresses, occupations or places of employment.

Location: Municipal archives and libraries.

Population coverage: 15%.