Sri Lanka, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Sri Lanka

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes civil registration records of births, marriages and deaths in Sri Lanka from 1768-1990. The original records are located in various civil registration division offices throughout Sri Lanka.

Reading These Records
These records are in Sinhala, Tamil, English and Dutch. For help reading them see:
 * Sinhala Online
 * MyLanguages Sinhala dictionary
 * Tamil Dictionary
 * India Language and Languages

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

Birth
 * Name of Child
 * Date and Place of Birth
 * Gender
 * Father's name and Mother's maiden name
 * Father's occupation
 * Informant Name and Residence

Marriage
 * Name Groom and Bride
 * Groom's and Bride's age
 * Groom's occupation
 * Groom's and Bride's residence
 * Father's name and occupation
 * Place of marriage

Death
 * Name of Deceased
 * Date and Place of Death
 * Gender
 * Nationality
 * Age of Deceased
 * Occupation
 * Name of Parents
 * Cause of Death
 * Place of Burial
 * Informant Name and Residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event
 * 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 estimated age to calculate a birth date
 * Use the place of marriage to estimate a place of residency
 * Use the language used in the record to determine a more specific location within Sri Lanka, as well as a possible hint to ethnicity

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

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Sri Lanka.
 * Sri Lanka Record Finder
 * Sri Lanka Civil Registration

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

 * Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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.