Brazil, Pernambuco, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
This collection includes records of births, marriages, and deaths. It was created by various civil registration offices in the state of Pernambuco from 1804 to 2014. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Additional images and indexed records will be published as they become available.

For details about the history of these records and help using them see the wiki article: Brazil Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Reading These Records
These records are written in Portuguese; also see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information in each record varies from year to year. The following may be found in these records:

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

Search The Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

View The Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Municipality
 * 2) Select Civil Registration Office
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Portuguese records see the following guides:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Brazil Language and Languages

To learn more about using the information in civil records, view this lesson for free: Brazil Beginning Research Series Lesson 2: Civil Registration Records - English

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.

I Found Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * For marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your relatives, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.
 * 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. This can also help you find the family in census recordsBrazil Census.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of a marriage officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Use the marital status to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Continue to search the indexes and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area or a nearby area.

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

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions.
 * Church Records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. Check Brazil Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records) and Brazil Church Records for more information.

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
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation:

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