Denmark, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Denmark

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
This collection contains primary source records of births, marriages, and deaths. If you have any ancestors living in Denmark during the time period covered by this collection you should search for them in these records.

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains church records from Denmark. It covers the years 1484 to 1941. The image portion of this collection is not complete. If you do not find the parish you are looking for here, please check the FamilySearch catalog record for the parish. Images of the church records are available through the catalog. Images of the parish records are also available online from the Danish National Archives. For more information about the content of the records and how to use them see Denmark Church Records.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Danish. For help reading these records see Denmark Language and Languages, Danish Genealogical Word List and Denmark Handwriting.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Records usually include the following:

Baptism
 * Name of child
 * Gender
 * Birth date
 * Baptism date
 * Father's name
 * Father's occupation
 * Mother's name
 * Residence
 * Witnesses' name and residences
 * Legitimacy

Confirmation
 * Date of confirmation
 * Confirmand's name
 * Confirmand's age
 * Residence
 * Parent's names

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

Move-in and out
 * Person's name
 * Age or birth year
 * Occupation
 * Place moving from or to
 * Date of move

Death
 * Name
 * Age
 * Death date
 * Burial date
 * Social status
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Parent's or spouse's name

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name
 * Parish of residence
 * Identifying information such as event date or names of family members

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.

What Do I Do Next?
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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing this Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined

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

 * Consult the Denmark Record Finder to find other records
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life. Look for variant spellings as well as abbreviated names and nicknames
 * Search the records of nearby parishes
 * Many individuals have the same name. Compare the names and the residences to make sure you have the correct person or family

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

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.