Central America, Colonial Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection includes a variety of civil and church censuses from about 1662-1921. In the colonial Guatemala region, the church censuses began to be recorded in the early 1500s and the civil censuses in the early 1800s.

Record History
According to the “Instituto Nacional de Identificación” (National Institute of Identification), the only relevant statistical activity in the colonial period was the population censuses carried out in the province of Guatemala by the Catholic Church ecclesiastical authorities, which began in the early 1500s. Some of these colonial censuses are actually membership records. These records are housed at the Archivo Histórico Arquidiocesano (Historical Archive of the Archdiocese of Guatemala) and have great importance in the historical reconstruction of the social, economic, and cultural process of Guatemala and the Central American region of the colonial period. Some of these earlier records are quite damaged, and therefore, some information is missing. It wasn’t until the beginning of Guatemala’s independence in 1821 that civil authorities began keeping statistical records of the country’s population.

Why This Collection Was Created
The authorities’ mission for the census was that the statistics gathered would effectively contribute to the development and democracy of Guatemala.

Record Reliability
The census was regularly taken by authorized citizens. They collected the information given to them from a member of the household, who may not have known the exact data. It is recommended to use the census information with caution as there may be some mistakes. However, the information gathered will help to find other information not found in vital records.

Record Description
This is a collection of various censuses of Guatemala. The earlier censuses are handwritten in Spanish in narrative style, and later ones are written on formatted ledger-style forms. The genealogical information found in the census includes: name and surname, age at the time of the census, marital or civil status, occupation, origin, properties, and religion. The census is divided by municipalities or cantons.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in the civil census include the following: • Name and surname • Age at time of census • Marital status • Occupation • Origin • Gender • Literacy • Disability • Religion • Race

The key genealogical facts found in the church census include the following: • Name and surname • Age • Marital status • Church parish of marriage • Sometimes the parents’ names • If the person has children and sometimes the children’s names and ages

How to Use the Record
Use this collection of records to find clues about the data needed to further research an ancestor in the vital records, such as civil registration or church records.

Related Websites
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Sources of This Collection
This is a collection of digital copies of original records housed at the Archivo General de Centro América (General Archive of Central America), Guatemala City, Guatemala.

How to Cite Your Sources
Instructions for citing this source can be found at: Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)