Estonia Population Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Eesti rahvastikuregister

Record Description
This collection of a variety of records covers the period between 1918 and 1944.

These records made after the Russian Revolution through the end of World War II includes records of taxpayers, citizens, Jews, Germans, and prisoners of war. They include records such as inhabitant records and tax censuses. The text of the records could be written in German, Estonian, or Russian.

The National Archive of Estonia is the center of archival administration in Estonia and a government agency in the domain of the State Chancellery, which includes Estonian Historical Archives, Estonian State Archives, Estonian Film Archives, and 6 regional Archives from: Harju, Lääne, Lääne-Viru, Saare, Tartu and Valga. Records were created at the local level and later archived in the National Archive.

Each of these records was created for a good reason, most of them to keep a record of the people in that period of time.

Most of these types of records are used as a secondary source when records for ancestors cannot be found in civil or church records.

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content


These population registers usually contain the following information:


 * Number in consecutive order
 * Registration date: month/day
 * Family name
 * Date of birth
 * Citizenship
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Document that confirms where person lives
 * Reports on the performance of military duties
 * Origination place and date (year/month/day/where from)
 * Residence (village, farm, mansion, town and house)
 * Destination date and place
 * Comments

These tax censuses usually contain the following information:


 * Number in consecutive order
 * Tax payer (family first and last name)
 * Birth year
 * Residence place
 * Male
 * Female
 * Payment
 * Receipt #
 * Paid: Debt / Tax / Percent deferral / Total
 * Remaining debt
 * Retired
 * Comments

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, follow this series of links:

⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select "Place" ⇒ Select "record type" ⇒ Select "Vol.number/letter, vol. begin-end year" which takes you to the images

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Related Websites

 * The National Archives of Estonia
 * Estonian Historical Archive

Related Wiki Articles

 * Estonia
 * Estonia Websites

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Estonia, Population Registers, 1918-1944," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 8 May 2012), Aakre &gt; Inhabitant Records (Elanike nimekirja) &gt; V.1-4-2903, 1921-1927 &gt; Image 13 of 187, August Jaani Eichelmann, 1891; citing Population registers, National Archive of Estonia (Rahvusarhiiv), Tartu, Estonia; Tallinn, Estonia.