Hordaland County, Norway Genealogy

Guide to Hordaland ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Hordaland is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is in Bergen. Before 1972 Bergen was a separate entity (Bergen county) from Hordaland.

Family History Resources
Nordhordland

 Sunnhordland Lag

Hardanger Lag

 Vosselag (www.Vosselag.org) 

Vestlandslag Stevne

Government Offices and Sites

 * Hordaland Fylke

Church Records/Civil Registration

 * These are the most important records you will use, and a majority of your research will be found in them. All civil registration was kept by the church parishes until 2012.
 * 1812-1938 Norway, Church Records, 1812-1938 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1815-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1815-1938 Norway Church Records, 1815-1938 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Digitalarkivet: Digitized parish registers of Hordaland
 * Norway Indexed parish register transcriptions
 * The FamilySearch Library has microfilms for all Hordaland parish registers up to about 1920. These can be viewed at the library or at a Family Histor Center near you.
 * By clicking on the parish links above, you may find direct links to all the records for that parish.
 * You do not have to be fluent in Norwegian. These records use a very limited, specialized vocabulary that is easy to learn. For help reading and interpreting theses records, see:
 * Norwegian Genealogical Word List
 * Norway Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available


 * [[Media:Parish_Register_Headings_for_Norway.pdf|Parish Register Headings for Norway]]: This pdf gives the translation of headings for the records in different time periods.  When a record is written with labeled columns it is much easier to search. Much of the material you read in each column will just be names and dates, since the meaning of those names (child, parents, godparents, minister) only has to be read once, in the column heading.


 * For more detail on the contents of these records and how to use them, see Norway Church Records and Norway Civil Registration.

Censuses
The parish priest's census (scanned)


 * Sunnhordland prosti, Manntall 20, 1664 - 1666
 * Hardanger prosti, Manntall 21, 1664 - 1666
 * Nordhordland prosti, Manntall 22, 1664 - 1666

The bailiff and the magistrate's census (scanned)


 * Sunnhordaland fogderi, Nordhordaland fodgeri, fogdemanntall 13, 1665
 * Hardanger len, Indre Sogn fogderi, Ytre Sogn fogderi, Fogdemanntall 14, 1664-1665 (parishes in Indre Sogn and Ytre Sogn belongs to Sogn og Fjordane county)
 * Sunnhordland fogderi, Hardanger fogderi., Manntall 6, 1701
 * Nordhordland fogderi, Manntall 7, 1701
 * 1801 Census
 * 1865 Census; also at - How to Use this Collection
 * 1875 Census; also at - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 Census (cities only)
 * 1891 Census partial index, full scan
 * 1900 Census
 * 1910 Census full index, not scanned

Farm Books

 * DAHLE. The Johannes and John Dahle Families with ancestry from Kvinnherad, Hordaland, Norway

Land Records
1886 and 1838 land registers are found at The Norwegian Historical Data Centre. These are Excel files, which can be downloaded. The give the name of the farm, the farm owner, and the amount of tax. Both farms and sub-farms are included.

Military Records

 * Militærrulle 1658 for Bergenhusiske infanteriregiment, Nordhordlandske kompani
 * Militærrulle 1714 over mannskap i Nærøy skipreide
 * Militærrulle 1722 for Voss

Passenger Lists

 * Pass for emigration to America issued in Bergen 1842-1860
 * Skipslister for Bergen-New York 1871-1873
 * Skipslister for Bergen-Quebec (Canada) 1865-1873
 * Emigranter over Bergen 1874-1930

Probate Records

 * Digitised probate records for Hordaland county


 * Databases of probate indexes for Hordaland county


 * 1640-1903 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index

Taxation
Oppebørselbok for Rosendalsgodset 1796-1800. (A record of taxes received for Rosendal Baroniet from 1796-1800).