Upernavik Parish, Greenland Genealogy

Background

 * Upernavik is a small town in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name.
 * With 1,092 inhabitants as of 2020, it is the twelfth-largest town in Greenland.
 * The town was founded as Upernavik in 1772. From the former name of its island, it was sometimes known as Women's Island; its name was also sometimes Anglicized to "Uppernavik".
 * The population has been relatively stable over the last two decades and has increased by more than 28% relative to the 1990 levels, with migrants from the smaller settlements in the archipelago helping keep the population level stable.

Place Names
Farm names or small village names within this parish include these place names and variations:

Census Records

 * 1834-1870 Greenland, Denmark, Censuses, 1834-1870 (in Danish) at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1834-1921 Greenland Censuses, 1834-1921 (in Danish) - incomplete indexes
 * Dansk Demografisk Database - incomplete indexes

Church Records

 * 1833-1935 Upernavik Church Records - at Greenland National Archives Kirkebóger, images only, complete.
 * 1779-1850 Greenland Kirkebøger, 1752-1861 at FamilySearch Catalog - index and images.Includes born and baptized, confirmed, married, dead and buried and communions for most parishes. Upernavik 1779-1850 vols. 1-2 (see also Godhavn). Census of baptized Greenlanders from Egedesminde, Godhavn and Upernavik parishes 1826-1828 vol. 3
 * 1833-1914 Church books in Upernavik parish - at Danish Family Search, index and images, incomplete.

Church Location and Contact Information
Upernavik præstegæld Postboks 19 3962 Upernavik Greenland Telephone: (+299) 961224 Telefax: (+299) 961425 E-mail: upernavik@ilagiit.gl Website

Reading the Records
Because the Faroe Islands were under the jurisdiction of Denmark, many research resources relating to Denmark will be helpful in using Faroe Islands records.
 * Help Reading Danish Records:


 * Denmark Parish Register Headings provides translated examples of parish headings. You will be able to interpret much of what is in the records using these headings. Danish Word List covers typical  terms found in the records. Fixed and Moveable Feast Days for: Denmark will help you translate dates written in feast day form. Denmark surnames are patronymic and change every generation, so carefully study Denmark Names, Personal.


 * Help Reading Old Handwriting: 


 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available
 * Gothic Script and examples (Danish)
 * Gothic script help links (Danish)


 * Knowing What to Look for Next:


 * To understand the best research strategies for these records, see Denmark Church Records Christenings Guide.