Nova Scotia Census

The Nova Scotia censuses before 1703 are helpful in providing a deceased person's name, age, and relatives. The censuses from 1703 to 1861 list only the head of each household, with a few exceptions.

Censuses beginning in 1871 are national censuses taken by the federal government. Most national censuses have been indexed. Indexes and links to them are listed at the Library and Archives Canada web site.

The more useful local censuses are listed below:

1671

Acadia: lists names, ages, and places of origin.

1686

Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.

1693

Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.

1698

Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.

1701

Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.

1752

Ile Royal: lists names, ages, and places of origin.

1752

Halifax: lists head of household.

1770

Many counties: lists head of household. This census has been published in:

Richard, Bernice C., Nova Scotia 1770 Census, Some 1773 and 1787. . . Chicago: Chicago Genealogical Society, 1972. (Family History Library  )

1817

A few counties: lists head of household.

1818

Part of Cape Brenton Island.

1827

Many counties: lists head of household. It has been published.

1838

Most of the province: lists head of household.

1851

Only Kings, Halifax, and Pictou counties: lists head of household. An index has been published for Kings, Halifax counties (Family History Library ; ). There is also an index for Pictou county (Family History Library ).

1861

Whole province: lists head of household.

Nova Scotia 1861 Census--This is a wiki article that describes a collection that is posted for free online at FamilySearech Record Search--=Piolet Site.

1871,1881

Whole province: lists all household members. The census gives each person's name, sex, age, country or province of birth, religion, occupation, and marital status. (1871 is incomplete for Shelburne County.)

1891

Lists all household members. The census lists each person's name, sex, age, marital status, relation to head of family, country or province of birth, French-Canadian descendency, place of birth of father, place of birth of mother, religion, and occupation.

1901

Lists all household members. The census lists each person's name, sex, color, relation to head of family, marital status, date of birth, country or province of birth, age at census, year of immigration to Canada, year of naturalization, nationality, religion, occupation, and native language.

1911

Lists all household members. The census lists each person's name, sex, relation to head of family, marital status, month and year of birth, age at census, country or province of birth, year of immigration to Canada, year of naturalization, racial or tribal origin, nationality, religion, and occupation.

Censuses from 1921 to the present are not available to the public.

A source for early censuses is:


 * Trahan, Charles C., Acadian Census, 1671–1752. Rayne, La.: Hebert Publications, 1994. (Family History Library ) Acadia covered what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.