Nicaragua, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registros Parroquiales de la Iglesia Católica en Nicaragua

Record Description
This collection of baptisms, marriages, and burials was created by authorized parish priests in the years 1740-1960. Most of the inhabitants of Nicaragua were Roman Catholics, therefore these records may cover about 95% to 100% of the population from the 16th to the 20th century. The text of the records is in Spanish.

It is common to see the sacramental ordinances of baptism, marriage, and burial in separate registers, however in smaller towns these records may all be recorded in one yearly book. The entries were normally made in chronological order. Some confirmations may be found within the baptisms. The earlier parish records were all handwritten in narrative form, and later records were handwritten in formatted entries. All records were handwritten in Spanish.

The parish registers may be the only records available for genealogical research before civil registration was implemented in 1879.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the " Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Baptismal records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Age and civil status of deceased
 * Parents’ names
 * Sometimes, name of the spouse, if married
 * Cause of death
 * Place of burial

How to Use the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Department" category ⇒ Select the "City or Town" category ⇒ Select the "Parish" category ⇒ Select the "Record Type and Years" category which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, 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 ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:

Spanish Genealogical Word List

Related Websites

 * Arquidiócesis de Managua
 * Una Visión Histórico-Pastoral de la Iglesia Católica en Nicaragua

Related Wiki Articles
Nicaragua

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Nicaragua, Diocese of Managua, Catholic Church Records, 1740-1960

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.