Guatemala, Suchitepequez, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include birth, marriage, death, and other records from 1877-1994. These were created by the civil registration offices in the department of Suchitepequez, Guatemala. As you search this collection, you will notice that some information in the records has been blacked out. Specific privacy laws in Guatemala prohibit some information classified as sensitive from being shared with the public. The information that is blacked out may be different from record type to record type, and does not negatively affect your family history research. Images courtesy of Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAP).

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Birth date and place
 * Childs name
 * Gender
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence
 * Informant’s name

Marriage
 * Marriage date and place
 * Groom’s name, age, occupation, birthplace, residence
 * Groom’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Bride’s name, age, occupation, birthplace, residence
 * Bride’s legitimacy and parents’ names
 * Couple's maternal and paternal grandparents’ names
 * Groom’s marital status
 * Bride’s marital status

Death
 * Date, time, and place of death
 * Deceased’s name, gender, and age
 * Deceased's marital status, name of spouse
 * Deceased’s occupation, and parents’ names
 * Cause of death
 * Informant’s name

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage year
 * Estimated birthyear
 * Family relationships

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * 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 residence and names of the parents to locate Parishes in Guatemala and land records
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives 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

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Church records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
 * There may be more than one person with the same name
 * Even though this is an index there may still be inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Guatemala.
 * Guatemala Record Finder
 * Guatemala 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.

Guatemala, Suchitepequez, Registro Civil (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)