Alabama County Marriages, 1818-1936 - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Alabama  {{FamilySearch_Collection

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What is in the Collection?
This collection is an index to selected county marriage records in Alabama for the years 1818-1936. Due to privacy restrictions, we cannot publish the images associated with these indexes at this time.

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Alabama marriages, click here.

Record Content
This collection may contain the following information:


 * Names of bride and groom
 * Year of marriage
 * Reference number

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the bride and/or groom
 * Other identifying information such as the approximate marriage date and place

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors 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 compare information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

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 article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s marriage record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the residence to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Many of the actual marriages in this index can be viewed on microfilm at a FamilySearch Center near you. Once you have located your ancestor in this index, record the film number, which is located at the bottom right of their index information page. You can then view that film at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City or order it at the FamilySearch Center near you.
 * Clicking on the GS film number in your ancestors’ indexed page will show all other records indexed on that film. Search through this record to identify relatives that may have also been married in this same locality.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * 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.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married 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.
 * Use the marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then do the search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring locality.

Related Websites

 * Alabama Genealogical Trails, transcribed genealogical data, searchable by county. Free.
 * I Dream of Genealogy
 * Access Genealogy
 * GenWeb Alabama Marriage Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Alabama, United States Genealogy
 * Alabama Birth, Marriage and Death Records
 * Alabama Vital Records Online
 * United States, How to Use Marriage Records
 * Alabama Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Alabama, County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):