Argentina, National Census, 1869 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for 1869.

The census enumerations were recorded in registers with legal size papers in landscape orientation. Each book (libreto) is separated by a title page, which includes the name of the province, the section, and the type of population covered. It is followed by the enumeration sheets containing surname and names of the inhabitants, age, gender, civil status, nationality, place of birth, occupation, literacy, and special conditions. At the end of each book is a global summary page of the register.

The First National Census of the Argentine Republic was executed in the whole country simultaneously in three days, September 15-17 of 1869, under the presidency of the nation’s then president Mr. Domingo F. Sarmiento. For the census, the country was divided into five areas: North, South, East, West, and the National Territories. Each area was divided into provinces, which were then divided into sections or districts (partidos); in some cases the barracks are also mentioned. The city of Buenos Aires was the only one divided into police sections (secciones de policía).

These census enumeration registers were well preserved. It was created for demographic and statistical purposes in relation to the growth of the nation.

This census covers about 1,800,000 inhabitants, but these records contain inaccuracies and should only be used when civil or church records are not available. The officials that wrote the census were ordinary civilians. Some were careless in spelling and wrote down phonetic versions of what they heard, so it is important to search for different spellings of your ancestors' names. The people were not required to provide proof for the information given (such as birth date and place), therefore some information may have been given from memory and may be wrong.

The original records can still be found at the Archivo General de la Nación in Buenos Aires.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in the 1869 census records may include:


 * Name, age, gender, marital status and nationality
 * Birth place (Province if Argentine)
 * Occupation
 * Statistical summary of the special conditions, such as legitimacy, race, disabilities, students, and others

Sample Images
Argentina 1869 Census

Coverage Table
As of 20 December 2016 this collection included records from the following provinces:

How Do I Search This Collection?
As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s first name or some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your relative and that your relative may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select Department
 * 3) Select Town, District, or Section 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, Now What?

 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, Now What?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Search the records of nearby localities
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Record Finder
Consult the Argentina Record Finder to find other records

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.


 * Collection Citation: "Argentina, censo nacional, 1869." Database and images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing Archivo General de la Nación, Buenos Aires (Census Commission Directive. General Archive of the Nation, Buenos Aires).

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