Central America, Colonial Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Guatemala, Censos Coloniales de Centro América

Collection Time Period
This collection includes a variety of civil and church censuses from about 1662-1921. In the colonial Guatemala region, the church censuses began to be recorded in the early 1500s and the civil censuses in the early 1800s.

Record Description
This is a collection of various censuses of Guatemala. The earlier censuses are handwritten in Spanish in narrative style; later censuses are written on formatted ledger-style forms.

The genealogical information found in the census includes:


 * Name and surname
 * Age at the time of the census
 * Marital or civil status
 * Occupation
 * Origin
 * Properties
 * Religion

The census is divided by municipalities or cantons.

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

According to the “Instituto Nacional de Identificación” (National Institute of Identification), the only relevant statistical activity in the colonial period was the population censuses carried out in the province of Guatemala by the Catholic Church ecclesiastical authorities, which began in the early 1500s. Some of these colonial censuses are actually membership records. These records are housed at the Archivo Histórico Arquidiocesano (Historical Archive of the Archdiocese of Guatemala) and have great importance in the historical reconstruction of the social, economic, and cultural process of Guatemala and the Central American region of the colonial period. Some of these earlier records are quite damaged and therefore, some information is missing.

It wasn’t until the beginning of Guatemala’s independence in 1821 that civil authorities began keeping statistical records of the country’s population.

Citation for This Collection:
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Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in civil census include:




 * Name and surname
 * Age at time of census
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Origin
 * Gender
 * Literacy
 * Disability
 * Religion
 * Race

Key genealogical facts found in church census include:




 * Name and surname
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Church parish of marriage
 * Sometimes the parents’ names
 * If the person has children and sometimes the children’s names and ages

How to Use the Records
Use this collection of records to find clues about the data needed to further research an ancestor in the vital records, such as civil registration or church records.

Why the Record Was Created
The authorities’ mission for the census was that the statistics gathered would effectively contribute to the development and democracy of Guatemala.

Record Reliability
The census was regularly taken by authorized citizens. They collected the information given to them from a member of the household, who may not have known the exact data. It is recommended to use the census information with caution as there may be some mistakes. However, the information gathered will help to find other information not found in vital records.

Related Websites
Guatemala Colonial Census

Related Wiki Articles
Guatemala

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Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collections
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