Iraq Genealogy

Guide to Iraq ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Country Information
Iraq is a country in the Middle East bordered by Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria. It was under Ottoman Empire rule from 1534-1705 and then from 1831-1920. At the end of World War I, Iraq was under Great Britain control and was made into a monarchy. There were a series of power changes thereafter, including the Ramadan Revolution in February 1963, the November 1963 Iraqi Coup d'état, and a Baathist coup in 1968. Saddam Hussein gained power in 1979. He led the country through many wars; the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-1988, the First US-Iraq War (or the Gulf War). His rule ended in the US-Iraq War in 2003. The official languages are Arabic and Kurdish.

Most recently, the fight against the Islamic State from 2011 to 2019 and on, has led to even greater destruction. Due to the arson, theft and devastation, it is most unfortunate that many Ottoman, census, and other genealogically valuable documents have been destroyed.

Iraq Map
Genealogy records are kept on the local level in Iraq.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in researching your family.
 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research