Denmark, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Danmark, kirkebøger

Record Description
This collection contains church records from Denmark. It covers the years 1484 to 1941. The records are in Danish.

NOTE: At this time the collection is NOT complete. Six of the 24 counties (Amts) are completely missing. They are: Haderslev, Odense, Svenborg, Sønderborg, Tønder, and Åbenrå. There are three counties that do not have all the districts (Herreds) in the collection. They are: Randers, 1 of 11, Viborg, 2 of 12, and Ålborg, 1 of 8. To see the complete collection, go the Danish National Archives website at SA.DK/AO.

Record Content
Baptism records usually include the following:


 * Name of child
 * Gender
 * Birth date
 * Baptism date
 * Father's name
 * Father's occupation
 * Mother's maiden name
 * Mother's relationship to father
 * Residence or farm name
 * Witnesses' and residences
 * Legitimacy
 * Remarks

Marriage records usually include the following:


 * Names of bride and groom
 * Ages
 * Residences
 * Marital or social status
 * Marriage date
 * Bondsman or sponsor
 * Remarks

Death records usually include the following:


 * Name
 * Death date
 * Burial date
 * Social status
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Remarks

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name
 * Parish of residence
 * Identifying information such as event date or names of family members

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "County" ⇒Select the appropriate "District" ⇒Select the appropriate "Parish" ⇒Select the appropriate "Volume, inclusive dates, contents" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. 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.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

Language Help
These records are in Danish. For help reading the records see the wiki articles:


 * Danish Word List
 * Denmark Language and Languages

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Many individuals have the same name. Compare the names and the residences to make sure you have the correct person or family.
 * You may want to extract all the children born to the same parents at the same residence. This is very helpful when organizing family groups.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names as well as abbreviated names and nicknames.
 * Search the records of nearby parishes.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Parish Registers This website is in English. This page tells the history of the parish registers in Denmark and describes their contents.
 * Online services This website is in English and describes online resources provided by the National Archives of Denmark.
 * Statens Arkivers forside Home page of the National Archives of Denmark. This page is in Danish.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Denmark
 * Denmark Civil Registration
 * Denmark Birth, Marriage, and Death Search Strategies 1467 - Present
 * Denmark Civil Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Denmark Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Denmark Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Denmark Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:  Image Citation