Peru Compiled Genealogies

The term genealogy is used in this article and in the FamilySearch Catalog to describe a variety of records containing family information gathered by individuals, researchers, societies, or archives. These records may include pedigree charts, compiled information on families, correspondence, ancestor lists, research exchange files, record abstracts, and collections of original or copied documents. These can be excellent sources of information that can save you valuable time. Because they are compiled from other sources of information, they must be carefully evaluated for accuracy.

Additional sources of genealogy for noble families in Peru are described in Peru Nobility.

Major Collections and Databases
The Family History Library has several sources that contain previous research or can lead you to other researchers who are interested in sharing family information. These sources include:


 * International Genealogical Index. The index provides names and vital information for many deceased persons who lived in Peru. This valuable research tool lists birth, christening, and marriage dates. The index for Peru includes names extracted from parish registers by volunteers and names submitted by other researchers.

The International Genealogical Index is available on microfiche and on compact disc as part of FamilySearch.


 * Ancestral File. This file, part of FamilySearch, contains family history information linked in family groups and pedigrees that has been contributed since 1979. As of 1999, the file contains the names of millions of persons, including hundreds of Peruvian families. Ancestral File can print pedigree charts, family group records, and individual summary sheets for any person in the file. You may contribute your family history information to Ancestral File. For more information, see the library publication Contributing Information to Ancestral File (34029), available at the Family History Library and through Family History Centers.


 * Family Group Records Collection. More than 8 million family group record forms have been microfilmed in the Family Group Records Collection, but very few are from South America. There are two major sections: the Archive Section and the Patrons Section. The film numbers for both sections are listed in the “Author/Title” section of the FamilySearch Catalog under “Family Group Records Collection.”


 * Social Security Death Index. The Social Security Death Index lists all the people in the United States who held social security numbers and who died between 1962 and 1996. The index can lead to other social security records that may provide your ancestor’s birthplace in Peru.

Family Histories
A few Peruvian families have produced histories or newsletters that include genealogical information, biographies, photographs, and other excellent information. These usually include several generations of the family.

The Family History Library has few published Peruvian family histories. Copies at the Family History Library are listed in the surname section of the FamilySearch Catalog. Not every name found in a family history will be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. Only the major surnames discussed in the family history are included in the catalog.

There are also unpublished family histories found in private collections. These include a variety of unpublished records pertaining to specific families, usually Peruvian nobility or prominent families. Such materials are generally inaccessible for research unless you can establish contact with the person who owns the materials.

Many Peruvian family histories are indexed in:


 * Boletin del Instituto Peruano de Investigaciones Genealógicas (Bulletin of Peruvian Genealogical Investigations). Lima: El Instituto, 194– . (FHL book 985 D25i.) This publication is a continuation of the periodical Boletín Interno.


 * Revista del Instituto Peruano de Investigaciones Genealógicas (Review of the Peruvian Institute of Genealogical Investigations). Lima: El Instituto, 1946– . (FHL book 985 D25r.)

For an index to more than 2,000 published Latin American family histories, see:


 * Platt, Lyman D. Una Bibliografía de Historias Familiares de Latinoamérica y los Estados Unidos (A Bibliography of Family Histories of Latin America and the United States). Salt Lake City: Instituto Genealógico e Histórico Latinoaméricano, 1990. (FHL book 980 D23p.)