Argentina, National Census, 1869 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Argentina, Censo de 1869

Record Description
These records are in Spanish. This Collection will include 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.

For a list of localities currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
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

How to Use the Record
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.

To search this collection using the index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse this collection by image ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Province" category ⇒Select the "Department" category ⇒Select the "Town, District, or Section" category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

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


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Argentina Language and Languages

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki 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.

Related Websites

 * The 1872 publication of the 1869 census, from Google books (in Spanish)
 * Listing of Scots in the 1869 census from the localities of Chascomus, Entre Rios, and Cordoba-Union
 * Map of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in 1869
 * Map of Argentina in 1873
 * Online histories of Argentina
 * Online genealogical resources for Argentina research

Related Wiki Articles

 * Argentina
 * Argentina Census
 * Finding an Irish Ancestor Using South America 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.