Texas, Marriage Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection includes records from 1966 to 2010.

This collection contains indexes of marriage license applications from all counties in the state of Texas. The indexes were prepared by the Vital Statistics Unit of the Department of State Health Services and have been published on the Department's website.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in the Texas Marriage Indexes usually contain the following information:


 * Age of Bride
 * Age of Groom
 * Bride's Given Name(s)
 * Bride's Last Name
 * Groom's Given Name(s)
 * Groom's Last Name
 * Calculated birth year for bride and groom
 * County Code
 * Full date of Marriage
 * Place of Marriage

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Names of interested parties
 * Date and place of marriage

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby counties.

Related Websites
Texas Department of State Health Services

Related Wiki Articles
Texas Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.