Norway Church Books - FamilySearch Historical Records

Norway

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains indexes and images of parish registers from Norway. It contains records of births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. This collection contains records from 1815, but may include some records beginning in 1814. The earliest parish register in Norway is from Andebu, Vestfold, in 1623, but the church did not begin keeping records across the entire country unil 1688. A standard format for parish registers was approved in 1812, but did not begin to be used until 1814.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Norwegian. For help reading them see Norway Languages and Norwegian Word List.

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

Baptism
 * Child's name
 * Birth date
 * Baptism date
 * Parent's names
 * Residence
 * Legitimacy

Marriage
 * Name of bride and groom
 * Age or birthdate
 * Occupations
 * Residence
 * Names of witnesses
 * Father's name

Burial
 * Name of deceased
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Possibly name of spouse or father
 * Cause of death

Coverage Table
A coverage table for this collection is available at Norway Church Books, Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Norway.
 * Norway Guided Research
 * Norway Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

 * Norway Baptisms, 1634-1927
 * Norway Marriages, 1660-1926
 * Norway Burials, 1666-1927

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.