Argentina, Capital Federal, Census, 1855 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Argentina City of Buenos Aires

What Is in This Collection?
This collection includes census records for 1855.

Each of the census registers is separated by a title page, which includes the name of the parish, the name or number of the ward, and the name or number of the block. It is followed by the enumeration sheets containing the following information in columns: Names and surnames of the inhabitants, relationship to the householder, civil status, gender, age, if the person knows how to read and write, place of birth, nationality, the length of time in the country if the person is a foreigner, and occupation or profession.

This census of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was performed on Wednesday, October 17, 1855, under the direction of the then Statistics Department (Mesa de Estadística), which was directed at the time by Justo Maeso. Authorization for the census was given in July 1855 by the government council member Valentín Alsina. This census covers about 92,000 inhabitants.

For the purpose of the census, the city of Buenos Aires was divided into thirteen parishes. Each parish was subdivided into barracks and blocks.

The information found in the census is of great value when civil or parish records are not available. It will permit the patron to find information unavailable elsewhere, which will help to continue research for an ancestor. The census records should be considered as a secondary source and used only when civil or church records are not available.

As of 20 December 2016 this collection included records from the following parishes:

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
The census of 1855 of the city of Buenos Aires may include the following information:


 * Name
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Gender
 * Age
 * Marital Status
 * Residence
 * Birthplace
 * Country of birth
 * Literacy
 * Number of years in Argentina

How Do I Search the 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

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Parish
 * 2) Select Section Number to view the images

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish
 * Argentina Language and Languages

I Found Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate Argentina Church Records and Argentina Land and Property records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * 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
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached 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.

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. Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records and images within it:

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: