El Salvador Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records

El Salvador

What is in This Collection?
This is an index of selected Catholic Church baptismal records from various locations in El Salvador. The year range in this collection 1750 to 1940. However some records may be from earlier or later years. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Baptism records may contain the following information:
 * Name of child
 * Gender
 * Birth date
 * Birth place
 * Baptism date
 * Baptism place
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence
 * Parents' age
 * Grandparents' name

Coverage Table
The Coverage Table shows the places and time periods of the original records in this collection. The table indicates how many records the collection has from each place. Most of the records in the collection are from the time periods listed in the table; however, the collection may have a few records from before or after the time period.

How Do I Search This Collection?
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
 * 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 to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate other church and land records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military 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?

 * Civil registration 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
 * You ancestor may be using a nickname or alias
 * 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
 * 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 record.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in El Salvador.
 * El Salvador 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.