New York City, New York Genealogy

United States &gt; New York &gt; New York City

Boundary Changes
In 1913 the Bronx split off from New York County (Manhattan).

Resources

 * The resources listed herein pertaining in two periods
 * Before 1898, before the consolidation
 * From 1898, onwards
 * Note: Not all records are held in a single place. The counties (now Boroughs) retain many functions including probate. For records at the counties, please visit the county boroughs, Bronx (now The Bronx), Kings (now Brooklyn), Queens, Richmond (now Staten Island) and New York (now Manhattan). See the List of Holdings web page of the NYC Municipal Archives for a listing of what records are available for some of the old towns.


 * Additionally, most of the Bronx belonged to Westchester County prior to 1898 so you may need to search there as well. Read the following article for further information: Before the Five-Borough City: The Old Cities, Towns and Villages That Came Together to Form "Greater New York"

Military

 * Civil War

Civil War service men in New York City served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in New York City:

- 1st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 3rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 4th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 5th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 5th Veteran Regiment, New York Infantry

- 6th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 7th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 7th Veteran, Regiment, New York Infantry

- 8th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 9th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 10th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 11th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 12th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 15th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 17th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 17th Veteran Regiment, New York Infantry

- 20th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 25th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 29th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 31st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 32nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 35th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 36th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 37th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 38th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 39th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 40th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 41st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 42nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 43rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 45th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 46th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 47th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 48 Regiment, New York Infantry

- 51st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 52nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 53rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 54th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 55th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 57th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 58th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 59th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 61st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 63rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 65th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 66th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 68th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 69th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 70th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 71st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 72nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 73rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 74th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 78th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 79th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 82nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 83rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 87th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 88th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 90th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 94th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 95th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 99th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 101st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 103rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 119th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 125th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 127th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 131st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 132nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 133rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 145th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 155th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 156th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 158th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 162nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 163rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 164th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 165th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 168th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 170th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 173rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 174th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 175th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 178th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 182nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 186th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 190th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 191st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- Independent Battalion Light Infantry

Newspapers
Brooklyn Eagle Online The New York Times Article Archives

Vital Records
New York City Municipal Achives

The Italian Genealogical Society, with the assistance of the NYC Municipal Archives, has been placing indexes to NYC records online, free of charge to the public. See the following:


 * Vital Records Index for NYC
 * Indexes to Naturalizations for NYC

Birth Records
The Family History Library has microfilms of some New York City births to 1909, deaths to 1919, and indexes to both to 1965. These microfilms can be ordered (for a small charge) and viewed at a family history center near you. The New York Public Library has the indexes to the present, but it does not search them in response to mail or telephone inquiries. Birth records to 1909 and death records to 1948 for the five boroughs of New York City are at the New York City Municipal Archives. Microfilms at the Family History Library include:

Brooklyn (Kings County)
Births 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

Queens (Queens County)
Births 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)
Births 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Brooklyn (Kings County)

 * Deaths 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Queens (Queens County)
Deaths 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)
Deaths 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

You can obtain New York City birth (1910 to the present) and death (1949 to the present) certificates for a fee from:

New York City Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records 125 Worth Street, Room 133 New York, NY 10013-0046 Telephone: 212-788-4500 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vr.shtml

Mailing Address: Division of Vital Records City of New York, Department of Health P.O. Box 3776 Church Street Station New York, NY 10007

For birth records through 1909 and death records through 1948, write to:

New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml

New York City Birth and Death Records are available using a credit card. Write to the New York City Department of Health, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. A "Hotline" telephone number, 212-788-4505, is available for information and for ordering birth and death certificates using a credit card. You can order birth records from 1910 to the present or death records from 1949 to the present. Using a credit card the cost is $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery. You can also order by sending a fax of the application to 212-962-6105. They can fax a copy of the application to your fax machine. The fee is also $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery.

The records are not available for genealogical purposes and are subject to certain other restrictions.

All other local registrars sent copies of their records to the State Department of Health. Most New York deaths after 1962 are in the Social Security Death Index.

The Guide to New York City Public Records. Includes chapters on city government, courts, libraries, and personal information. Shows how to obtain vital records, name change records, and naturalizations.

Marriage Licenses
For marriage records for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Richmond through 1937, write:

New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml

Pre-1938 New York City marriages, some as early as 1830, are found at the Municipal Archives. The Family History Library has microfilmed marriages of:

Other Records of Marriages and Deaths
For New York City's five boroughs and some other counties, many newspaper notices of births, marriages, and deaths have been published. See New York Newspapers for a partial list. In the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog, these notices are listed under:

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - NEWSPAPERS

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - OBITUARIES

Check also under the state and county levels.

Some church marriage records have been published or have been microfilmed for the five boroughs. An example from the Family History Library collection is:

New York City Methodist Marriages, 1785–1893 contains a groom index and a bride index, each of which has about 41,000 names.

Divorce records
Divorce records may be obtained from the County Clerk in the County where the divorce decree was granted. For information on how to obtain a copy of a divorce record in New York City boroughs:


 * New York County, Manhattan call (646) 386-5955.
 * Kings County Brooklyn call (718) 643-5894.
 * Queens County call (718) 298-0601
 * Bronx call (718) 590-3638
 * Staten Island call (718) 390-5389

(The Office of the County Clerk does not have a web site.)

Societies and Libraries
New York Historical Society

New York Public Library – Of note to genealogists are the following divisions within the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building:


 * Map Division
 * Microforms &amp; Periodicals
 * Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy

Web Sites

 * FamilySearch.org Family History Library catalog for New York City
 * New York City Genealogy
 * New York City Research (articles on little known resources for New York City)