Spain, León, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records of births, marriages, and deaths from several districts in the province of León, Spain. The originals are kept at the Archivo Histórico Provincial de León in Spain.

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

For additional details about the history of these records and help using them, see the wiki article Spain, Municipal Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Collection Content
The information in each record varies by year.

Birth records generally include the following information:


 * Child's name and gender
 * Place and date of birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents' country of birth (if not more specific)

Marriage records usually include the following:


 * Names and ages of groom and bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Birthplaces of groom and bride
 * Marital status of groom and bride
 * Names and ages of groom’s parents
 * Names and ages of bride’s parents
 * Who performed the marriage
 * Names of witnesses

Death records may include:


 * Deceased's name, and age (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of birth
 * Marital status/spouse's name
 * Names of parents
 * Birthplaces of parents
 * Name of informant
 * Date and place of burial

How Do I Search the Collection?
Some record sets have indexes; these indexes were created at the end of the year. Copy errors could have been made in the index, so you want to find the actual record to verify the information is correct. Using the index is a helpful way to find the actual record.

See the sections below for tips and uses for searching and finding the record of your ancestor in this collection and using the information in the record.

If you are unable to find a record for your ancestor in this collection, see the corresponding section below.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Municipio (City or Municipality)
 * 2) Select Tipo de registro y años (Record Type and Years) 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.

When searching: 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, 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.

What Do I Do Next?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * 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 residence and names of the parents to locate church records Spain Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * 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 province. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other provinces.
 * 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 (whether a divorce or death dissolved a marriage) to identify previous marriages.
 * Witnesses often were relatives of the parents.

I Found Who I was Looking for, Now What?
When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

For death records, the information in records is usually reliable, but depends upon the knowledge of the informant.

Regarding marriage and death records, name changes, shortened names, or nicknames may have been used by your ancestors, so pay attention to other relationships (parents, spouse, siblings, children, etc.) that can confirm whether you have the right person/record.

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, Now What?
If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding León. These countries/provinces neighbor León:


 * Portugal on the west,
 * Galicia, Cantabria, and Asturias in the north,
 * the Autonomous Community of Aragon, the Autonomous Community of Pais Vasco (the Basque Country), and La Rioja in the east,
 * Madrid in the south with
 * the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha and the Autonomous Community of Extremadura to the southwest.

Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable.


 * Spain Baptisms
 * Spain Catholic Church Records

Or your ancestor immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or immigration/emigration records.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Spain.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.