Mexico, Puebla, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of civil records for Puebla covers the years 1861 to 1930.

The civil registration records for Mexico cover the vital events of birth, marriages, and deaths, are organized by state and then by municipality/city. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style; later records were handwritten in formatted registers.

Civil records in Mexico cover about 90 to 95 percent of the population. Beginning in 1859, the Mexican government began requiring births, marriages, and deaths to be recorded by civil authorities on a municipality/district level. Although these records are a great source of genealogical information, they are not complete as civil registration wasn't strictly enforced in Mexico until 1867 and people did not always comply. For this reason, it is suggested to use church registers alongside the civil records to help in your research. The civil records of Mexico have been preserved relatively well. Only some of the older registers may have some physical damage; however, in general they are in good condition and are a reliable source to extract genealogical information.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; also see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

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

Birth Records
 * Date and place of record
 * Child’s name and gender
 * Child’s birth date and place
 * Presenter/Father’s name, age, civil status and occupation
 * Parents’ names and race
 * Paternal grandparents
 * Maternal grandparents

Marriage Records
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Groom’s age, civil status, and occupation
 * Names of groom’s parents and their origin and residence
 * Bride’s age and civil status
 * Names of bride’s parents and their origin and residence
 * Names of witnesses

Death Records
 * Name of deceased
 * Age, occupation, origin, nationality and residence of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Spouse’s name, if married, and their age, origin and residence
 * Declarant’s name, age, civil status and origin
 * Sometimes, burial information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select City or Municipality
 * 2) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following resources:


 * Mexico Language and Languages
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

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.

What Do I Do Next?
To learn more about using the information available in these records, view these lessons for free:
 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in the 1930 Mexico National Census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify

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

 * Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Morelos is to the west, Estado de México to the northwest, Tlaxcala to the north, Hidalgo to the west of Puebla's northern "peninsula," Veracruz to the east, Oaxaca to the south, and Guerrero to the southwest
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Puebla Catholic Church records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
 * There may be more than one person with the same name
 * You ancestor may be using a nickname or alias

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.


 * Collection Citation:

"Mexico, Puebla, Civil Registration, 1861-1930." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 17 January 2017. Citing Archivo General de Notarias, Instituto Cultural Poblano, Puebla (State Archive. Poblano Cultural Institute, Puebla.

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