Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
These records are in Portuguese. This collection will include baptism, marriage, and burial records created by various Catholic parishes and diocese in the state of Rio de Janeiro from 1616 to 1980.

Reading These Records
For help reading these Portuguese records see the following guides:
 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Script Tutorial for Portuguese
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Portuguese Handwritten Records

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Baptism records


 * Date of baptism
 * Place of baptism
 * Name
 * Birth date
 * Place of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names
 * Godparents' names

Marriage records


 * Date of marriage
 * Place of marriage
 * Names of groom and bride
 * Groom's place of birth
 * Groom's age, baptism date, and residence
 * Groom's legitimacy
 * Groom's parents' names
 * Bride’s place of birth
 * Bride's age, baptism date, and residence
 * Bride’s legitimacy
 * Bride's parents' names
 * Witnesses' names

Burial records


 * Date and place of registration
 * Registrant's name
 * Date, place, and time of death
 * Name and age of deceased (keep in mind
 * that death records for women may be
 * filed under their married name)


 * Deceased's marital status/name of spouse
 * Deceased's origin and residence
 * Legitimacy
 * Cause of death
 * Names of deceased's parents
 * Residence of parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Burial place

Collection Content
For additional details about these records and help using them see the wiki article: Brazil Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 


 * 1) Select Municipality
 * 2) Select Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images

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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * The birth and/or age may also help you find the family in the Brazil Census
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of you ancestor is now in a neighboring. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Brazil Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable
 * Your ancestor might have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas Brazil Emigration and Immigration cannot be found or are unavailable
 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Brazil.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.