Honduras, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Honduras

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes civil registration records of births, marriages, and deaths in the country of Honduras between the years 1841 and 1968.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

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

Births
 * Date and place of registration
 * Informant’s name, age and residence
 * Name of the child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Parents’ names

Marriages
 * Date and place of event
 * Groom’s name, age, origin and residence
 * Bride’s name, age, origin and residence
 * Parents’ names

Deaths
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of burial
 * Registration date and place
 * Informant’s name, age, residence and relationship to the deceased
 * Deceased’s name, age, marital status, origin and residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. 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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Department
 * 2) Select City or Municipality
 * 3) Selcet  Record Type and Years which takes you to 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 age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in Honduras, Catholic Church Records
 * 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
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents
 * Continue to search the records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were born in the same town or nearby location

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

 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * 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. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
 * Here are some tips and techniques that will help you Improve your Search Results for Hispanic Ancestors in FamilySearch.org
 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections.  Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Honduras.
 * 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.