Fairfax County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Fairfax County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Fairfax County is located in northern part of Virginia. It was named for Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781), proprietor of the Northern Neck.

County Courthouse
Fairfax County Courthouse' 4110 Chain Bridge Road Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703-691-7320 Fairfax County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records 1853-1912, marriage records from 1853, divorce records from 1850, probate, court and land records from 1742.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline


The county is named after Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693-1781), Proprietor of the Northern Neck. Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Prince William County was created in 1731 from a portion of Stafford County (and a part of King George County), Stafford County was created in 1664 from Westmoreland County, which was created in July 1653 from the northern portion of Northumberland County, itself formed in 1648.

In 1757, the northwestern two-thirds of Fairfax County became Loudoun County. The current border between Fairfax and Loudoun was re-established in 1957. In 1789, the area that now encompasses Alexandria City and Arlington County was donated to the Federal Government during the creation of the District of Columbia in 1791 and designated Alexandria County of the District of Columbia until 1846, when it was returned to Virginia as the independent county of Alexandria. In 1870, the city of Alexandria seceded as an independent Virginia city and in 1920, Alexandria County was renamed Arlington County.

Bible Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * [Huntt] "Huntt Family Bible: Fairfax County, Virginia," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 12 (Jun. 1985):3-5..

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (Together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes sections on Alexandria and Fairfax silversmiths.]

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Civil War Era Burials - Alexandria National Cemetery is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Volunteers for Freedom: Black Civil War Soldiers in Alexandria National Cemetery is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.

Census Records
1782 Enumeration
 * Fairfax County Heads of Families - 1782 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 16.

1785 Enumeration
 * Fairfax County Heads of Families - 1785 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 85.

1820 Manufacturers Census
 * "1820 Manufacturers Census," Northern Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul. 1997):125-126. Available at . [Includes Fairfax, Fauquier, and Loudoun counties.]

1850
 * Tallichet, Marjorie D. Alexandria City and County 1850 Census. Heritage Books, Inc., 1986. Index is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.

1890 Union Veterans
 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner..
 * 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes this county.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):
 * 1) Alexandria (1803). Minutes begin in 1803: . Includes lists of members and baptisms.
 * 2) Back Lick (1782).
 * 3) Bull Run (1775)
 * 4) Difficult (1775).
 * 5) Frying Pan (1791).
 * 6) Hedgeman's River (1791), Jeffersonton, Va. A history was published in Virginia Baptist Register, Issue 13 (1974).
 * 7) Popeshead (1775).

Fairfax County fell within the bounds of the Ketocton Association.

Church of England See also Cameron Parish See also Fairfax Parish  See also Truro Parish

Quaker
 * Alexandria Monthly Meeting (1783-1885). Hinshaw published the early records: . Wright also published the early records (1800-1870):.
 * (81+ entries)

General
 * Woodlawn Monthly Meeting (begun 1846)
 * Hiatt, Marty and Craig Roberts Scott. Loudoun County, Virginia, Tithables, 1758-1786. 3 vols. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1995. . [Volume 1 includes a 1749 tithables list for Fairfax County which identifies tithe payers and many of their religions.]

Scheel's map of Fairfax County, Virginia identifies the locations of early churches and meetinghouses circa 1776. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records

General
 * Horrell, Joseph. "George Mason and the Fairfax Court," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 91, No. 4 (Oct. 1983):418-439. Digital version at JSTOR ($).

County Court Searches of Fairfax County Court Orders should begin with the Fairfax County History Commission and Edith Moore Sprouse's: They also created.
 * Mitchell, Beth. Fairfax County Road Orders 1748-1800. 2003. Digital version at Smitherman.net - free. Includes name index.

Chancery Court
 * Indexes (1803-1963) and images (1803-1913) to Fairfax County, Virginia Chancery Records are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Dumfries District Court and Superior Court of Law
 * Dumfries District Court Order Books, 1793-1817. Original records, Prince William County Courthouse, Manassas, Va.; available on microfilm at . Dumfries District Court encompassed Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

Fredericksburg Superior Court of Chancery The Superior Court of Chancery of Fredericksburg (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over certain Fairfax County court cases. An index has been compiled: Fairfax County Circuit Court 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Room 315 Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: (703) 246-4168 Web Site: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/courts/circuit/archives.htm E-mail: [mailto:arch@fairfaxcounty.gov arch@fairfaxcounty.gov] Types of Records: Marriage info (1742 to mid 1800s); marriage records (1860s to 1957); birth and death info (1700s, 1800s); birth and death records (1912-1917); deed books (1742-1944); will books (1742-1948); tax records (1853-1920); court minute books (1749-1903); other early court files, pension records, war records, etc.
 * Indexes of Court Records in the Clerk's Office, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1782-1904. Original records, Fredericksburg City Courthouse, Fredericksburg, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at . Indexes the following records: District Court law book v. 8, 1782-1792; District Court law books 1790-1793, v. A-F 1789-1811; Superior Court of Law law order books v. G-H 1812-1831; Superior Court of Chancery chancery order books 1814-1831; Hustings Court orders v. A-O 1782-1871; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery law order books v. A-E 1831-1875; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery chancery order books v. A-D 1831-1872; Circuit Court chancery order books v. A2, B-C 1875-1904; Fredericksburg District Court (1789-1808) had jurisdiction over the following counties: Spotsylvania (including Fredericksburg), Caroline, King George, Stafford, Orange, and Culpeper; Superior Court of Chancery (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over the following localities: city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Lancaster, Northumberland, Madison, King George, Orange, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Essex, and Westmoreland.

Petitions

 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at ; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Petition from Fairfax County, Virginia, for Importation of Salt, November 23, 1775," see pp. 172-173.

Emigration and Immigration
Alexandria, along the Potomac River, and Belvoir Plantation, have been ports since colonial times. Unfortunately, no official passenger lists survive for the eighteenth century.
 * Cantwell, John A. "Imported Indentured White Servitude in Fairfax and Prince William Counties, 1750-1800," unpub. M.A. Thesis, George Mason University, 1986. Cantwell identifies many of the servants he found by name. The individuals Cantwell identifies by name have been indexed in the Immigrant Servants Database (see below).
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Includes will of a resident of Fairfax County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.
 * The Port of Alexandria, MSS. Contains correspondence between the Secretary of the Treasury and the Collectors Office in Alexandria. A few are addressed to the Custom House in Alexandria. Letters cover 1789-1815..

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American In 1870, the town of Alexandria had one of the largest African American populations in Virginia. Guide to African-American Resources, Alexandria Library Local History/Special Collections is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Lane, Estelle. "News of Interest to Colored Readers," Alexandria Gazette. 1927-1928 is available online, courtesy: http://www.freedmenscemetery.org/resources/resources.shtml Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections].
 * Sweig, Donald. Registrations of Free Negroes Commencing September Court 1822, Book No. 2 &amp; Register of Free Blacks 1835, Book 3: Being the Full Text of the Two Extant Volumes, 1822-1861, of Registrations of Free Blacks Now in the County Courthouse, Fairfax, Virginia. Fairfax, Virginia Prepared for publication and published by History Section, Office of Comprehensive Planning, Fairfax County, Virginia under the direction of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in cooperation with the Fairfax County History Commission, 1977. ; reviewed by Elizabeth Shown Mills in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 86, No. 1 (Jan., 1978), pp. 114-115. Review: ; digital version of review at JSTOR ($).
 * Volunteers for Freedom: Black Civil War Soldiers in Alexandria National Cemetery is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Voter Registration in Alexandria, Virginia: African Americans, 1902-1954 is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Fairfax County.
 * George Washington's Mount Vernon Slavery Database

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Fairfax County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families
 * The family of George Mason is treated in detail at the website Gunston Hall: Home of George Mason.
 * Liddle, Chester A. and Patricia H. Osisek. Families of Pohick Church, Truro Parish, Fairfax County, Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1991. has original edition and two supplements.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records An early settlers map is available for Fairfax County. The cartographers plot the locations of pioneers from the 1760 era. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Grants and Patents
 * Davey. 253 patents dated 1651-1911 in what is now Fairfax, Fauquier, Northumberland, Prince William, Stafford, and Westmoreland Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. [Names of those who received land patents, dates, land descriptions, and references may be viewed free of charge (click "Index" next to the county listing, which is "Nova" in this instance); however, in order to view the maps, it is necessary to purchase Direct Line Software's DeedMapper product.]
 * Beginning at a White Oak. 1977. Annotated land patents. Online at Internet Archive.
 * 1742-1775 Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775. Vol. II. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Land Causes
 * Sparacio, Ruth Trickey, Sam Sparacio, and Dumfries, Va. District Court. Abstracts of Land Causes, Prince William County, Virginia. [1789-1793] 2 vols. McLean, Va.: Antient Press, 1992. Available at . [Includes Fairfax County.]
 * Wilson, Donald L. "Prince William County Land Causes," [1789-1793] The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Aug. 1984):5-7; Vol. 3, No. 7 (Jan. 1985):3-6; Vol. 3, No. 10 (Apr. 1985):6-7; Vol. 3, No. 12 (Jun. 1985):6-7; Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jul. 1985):4-6; Vol. 4, No. 2 (Aug. 1985):3-4; Vol. 4, No. 3 (Sep. 1985):5-7; Vol. 4, No. 7 (Jan. 1986):4-6; Vol. 4, No. 9 (Mar. 1986):3-4; Vol. 4, No. 10 (Apr. 1986):5-7; Vol. 4, No. 12 (Jun. 1986):5-7; Vol. 5, No. 1 (Jul. 1986):5-7; Vol. 5, No. 3 (Sep. 1986):6-9; Vol. 5, No. 6 (Dec. 1986):5-6; Vol. 5, No. 10 (Apr. 1987):5-7. Available at.

Local Histories

 * Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Industrial and Historical Sketch of Fairfax County, Virginia. Newell Printing Co., 1907. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Historic Residences
 * Moxham, Robert Morgan. Belmont Plantation on the Occoquan, Fairfax County, Virginia. North Springfield, Virginia: Colonial Press, 1975. Available at.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Mitchell, Beth and Donald M. Sweig. An Interpretive Historical Map of Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1760: Showing Landowners, Tenants, Slave Owners, Churches, Roads, Ordinaries, Ferries, Mills, Tobacco Inspection Warehouses and the Towns of Alexander and Colchester. Virginia: Office of Comprehensive Planning, County of Fairfax, 1987. Available at.
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Fairfax County's 1787-1790 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 170-171.

Military Records
French and Indian War Revolutionary War Regiments. Service men in Fairfax County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Fairfax County supplied soldiers for the:
 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Fairfax Parish and Fairfax County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.
 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at ; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Fairfax County, see p. 76-79.
 * 1651-1776 Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.
 * Mayo, Sandra. "Fairfax and Prince William Counties in the French and Indian War," Northern Virginia Heritage, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Feb. 1987). Digital version at Historic Prince William.
 * Pierce, Alycon Trubey. "Wringing Northern Virginians Out of Final Pension Payment Vouchers, 1818-1864," Northern Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr. 1997):73-77. Available at . Identifies married daughters and granddaughters of Revolutionary War Pensioners, and other persons mentioned in these records. Pierce abstracted entries for residents of Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840.  Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).  See Virginia, Eastern District, Fairfax County on page 130.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.
 * Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. By J.T. McAllister. 1913. Hot Springs, Va.: McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Internet Archive
 * - 3rd Virginia Regiment
 * - 10th Virginia Regiment

War of 1812 Fairfax County men served in the 60th Regiment. Library of Virginia resources, War of 1812 Civil War
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital version at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Fairfax County, pp. 78-79. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1890 Veterans Census Northern Virginia is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Civil War Era Burials - Alexandria National Cemetery is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Gailey, Charles K. et al. They Died in Centreville: A Study of Union Soldiers Who Died and/or Were Buried in Centreville, Virginia During the Civil War is available online, courtesy the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library. NOTE: This is a 38 MB PDF file; allow time to download.
 * Harrison, Noel G. "Atop an Anvil: The Civilians' War in Fairfax and Alexandria Counties, April 1861-April 1862," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 106, No. 2 (Spring, 1998), pp. 133-164. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Johnson, William Page. Brothers and Cousins: Confederate Soldiers and Sailors of Fairfax County, Virginia. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1995. Available at.
 * Notes on Locating a Confederate Ancestor is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Oath of Allegiance in Virginia, 1862-1865 is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * Volunteers for Freedom: Black Civil War Soldiers in Alexandria National Cemetery is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.

Regiments. Civil War service men in Fairfax County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 5th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate).
 * - 6th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company F (Fairfax Company aka Washington's Home Guard aka The Powell Troop aka General Johnston's Bodyguard Company).
 * - 8th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Scott's Company).
 * - 11th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry. Company I (Fairfax Cavalry or Chesterfield Troop).
 * - 17th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Fairfax Riflemen).

Civil War Battles The following Civil War battles were fought in Fairfax County.
 * July 18, 1861 = Blackburn’s Ford, also known as Bull Run
 * July 21, 1861 = Manassas I, also known as First Bull Run
 * December 20, 1861 = Dranesville
 * August 28-30, 1862 = Manassas II, also known as Second Bull Run, Manassas Plains, Groveton, Gainesville, or Brawner's Farm
 * September 1, 1862 = Chantilly, also known as Ox Hill
 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861 and 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

World War I
 * World War I Draft Registrations for Northern Virginia is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Index to Naturalization Petitions, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria, 1909-1929 is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.

Newspapers
Online Newspapers Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.
 * 1784-1789 Virginia Journal (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1792-1800 Columbian Mirror (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1797-1802 Alexandria Times (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1800-1808 Alexandria Advertiser (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1802 Columbian Advertiser (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1802-1807 Alexandria Expositor (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1808-1876 Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1811-1825 Alexandria Herald (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1876 People's Advocate (Alexandria, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1835-1922 Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1916-1946 Obituary Index to the Alexandria Gazette, 1916-1946 is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * 1927-1928 Lane, Estelle. "News of Interest to Colored Readers," Alexandria Gazette. 1927-1928 is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.
 * 2002-present Springfield Connection (Springfield, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 2002-present Reston Connection (Reston, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).

Indexes Fairfax County Historical Newspaper Index (1785-2000 nonconsecutive) index only - Free; includes:


 * Alexandria Gazette (1785-1788; July 25, 1854-December 31, 1855; and May 3, 1860-January 20, 1865)
 * Arlington County Record (1932-1933)
 * Fairfax City Times (1961-1968)
 * Fairfax County Independent (1929-1932)
 * Fairfax Herald (1886-1973)
 * Fairfax News (1872-1875)
 * Fairfax News - Herndon Observer (1925-1943)
 * The Local News (1861-1862)
 * The Rambler, Washington Star (1912-1928)
 * Reston Times (1965-1973; 1975-January 6, 1977; 1978; 1980-1983; 1985; and 2000)

Obituaries

 * 1784-1915 Obituary Notices from the Alexandria Gazette, 1784-1915. Rev. ed. Willow Bend Books.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records Local Court King's abstracts are a good place to start: Some individual's wills have appeared in print or in manuscript collections:
 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * King, Junie Estelle Stewart. Abstracts of Wills and Inventories, Fairfax County, Virginia 1742-1801. 1936; reprint, Baltimore, MD, USA: Clearfield, 1996. and  available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($); and MyHeritage ($).
 * Holbrook, E. Richardson. Copies of the Wills of General George Washington: The First President of the United States and of Martha Washington, His Wife, and Other Interesting Records of the County of Fairfax, Virginia Wherein They Lived and Died. Washington, D. C.: National Capital Press, 1904. Available at . [2 copies at FHL.]
 * Roberts, Mrs. Arthur John and Daughters of the American Revolution. Oklahoma Old Wills and Family Records. [Includes will of Charles Thrift, Sr., Fairfax Co., Va.] Available at.
 * Will of John Littleton of Fairfax Co., Va. 1745, Photocopy, available at.
 * Pierce, Alycon Trubey. "Fairfax County, Virginia, Administration Bonds, 1752-1782," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 74 (1986):189-195. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($);.

London Courts
 * Images of Wills and Estates, Book A-1, 1742 – 1752; Book B-1, 1752 – 1767; Book C-1, 1767 – 1776 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes will of a resident of Fairfax County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * Images of Wills - Book D 1776-82; Book E 1783-91; Book F 1791-94; Book G 1794-99; Book H 1799-1801; Book I, 1801-1806 Virginia Pioneers ($)

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * "The Senior Class:" Index to Yearbooks from Alexandria (VA) High Schools, 1919-1951 is available online, courtesy: Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1744 Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at ; digital version at Internet Archive. Poll List for the Election of Burgesses for Fairfax County, 1744, see pp. 116-125.
 * 1748/1749 Steadman, Melvin Lee. Falls Church by Fence and Fireside. Falls Church, Virginia: Falls Church Public Library, 1964. Available at . 1748/1749 tithables list for Fairfax County.
 * 1749, 1758-1786 Hiatt, Marty and Craig Roberts Scott. Loudoun County, Virginia, Tithables, 1758-1786. 3 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1995. Available at . Volume 1 includes a 1749 tithables list which identifies tithe payers and many of their religions. Online at Ancestry ($).
 * 1761, 1774 King, Junie Estelle Stewart. Abstracts of Wills and Inventories, Fairfax County, Virginia 1742-1801. 1936; reprint, Baltimore, MD, USA: Clearfield, 1996. and  available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($); and MyHeritage ($). Includes 1761 and 1774 rent rolls.
 * 1770, 1772, 1774 Sparacio, Ruth and Sam Sparacio. Fairfax County, Virginia Deed Books K-L (1772-1774). McLean, Va.: R. &amp; S. Sparacio, 1988. . Includes 1770, 1772, and 1774 Fairfax rental lists.
 * 1782-1805 Fairfax County Personal property tax lists of Fairfax County, 1782-1805 at ; images
 * 1783  Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
 * 1787 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Fairfax County is included in Vol. 2.
 * 1787-1790 Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Fairfax County's 1787-1790 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 170-171.
 * 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . This source is based on the 1815 land tax. Fairfax County is included in Vol. 4.

Vital Records

 * Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records P.O. Box 1000 Richmond, VA 23218-1000 Phone: (804) 662-6200 Website Types of Records: Birth and death records (1853 to 1896; since June 14, 1912); marriage records (since 1853); divorce records (since 1918)

Birth

 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index ; Also at: Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Hiatt, Marty and Craig Roberts Scott. Implied Marriages of Fairfax County, Virginia. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1994. Available at.

Death

 * Deaths are online in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by The Virginia Genealogical Society.
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

Family History Centers

 * Annandale Virginia Family History Center
 * Centreville Virginia Family History Center
 * McLean Virginia Family History Center
 * Mount Vernon Virginia Family History Center
 * Oakton Virginia Family History Center

Libraries

 * Alexandria Library Kate Waller Barrett Branch 717 Queen Street Alexandria, VA 22314-2420 Phone: (703) 838-4577 Website
 * The Fairfax County Public Library 10360 North Street Fairfax, VA 22030-2514 Phone: (703) 293-6383 Email: [mailto:va_room@fairfaxcounty.gov va_room@fairfaxcounty.gov] Website
 * The Library of Virginia 800 East Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219-8000 Phone: (804) 692-3500 Website

Museums

 * Fairfax City Museum and Visitor's Center 10209 Main Street Fairfax, VA Phone: (703) 385-8414 Website

Societies

 * Gum Springs Historical Society and Museum 8100 Fordson Road Alexandria, VA 22306 Phone: (703) 799-1198 Website
 * Mount Vernon Genealogical Society Resource Center Hollin Hall Senior Center 1500 Shenandoah Road, Room 214 Alexandria, VA 22308 Email: [mailto:libraryasst@mvgenealogy.org libraryasst@mvgenealogy.org] Website
 * Fairfax Genealogical Society (FxGS) P.O. Box 2290 Merrifield, Virginia 22116-2290 Website

Websites

 * Fairfax County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * Cyndi's List


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides
Compiled genealogies are a good place to start research for this area, see Fairfax County, Virginia Genealogy. If you are researching families who lived in Fairfax County, Virginia between the 1740s and 1790s, the Sparacios' books are a great time saver. They comprehensively index several publications covering that period:
 * Sparacio, Ruth Trickey and Sam Sparacio. Surname Index of Antient Press Publications. 14+ vols. McLean, Va.: R. &amp; S. Sparacio, Antient Press, 1993-. 975.5 P22s v. 1-2; publisher's website: Antient Press.


 * Grundset, Eric G. "Fairfax County Genealogy," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 3 (May-Jun. 1984):1-2. ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website ($).