Santa Clara County, California Genealogy

Guide to Santa Clara County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
Santa Clara County Courthouse 70 W Hedding St 1st Floor San Jose, CA 95110-1768 Phone: 408.299.2481 

County Recorder has birth and death records from 1873 Recorder has birth and death records from 1873, marriage records from 1850, land records from 1846 and military records from1920  County Clerk has divorce, probate and naturalization records 

Parent County
18 February 1850: Santa Clara County was created as an original county. County seat: San Jose

Description
The county was named for Saint Clare of Assisi, Italy. The county seat San Jose and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
May 18, 1931: A fire quickly spread through the courthouse, causing extensive damage.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties

 * Alameda
 * Merced
 * Monterey
 * San Benito
 * San Joaquin
 * San Mateo
 * Santa Cruz
 * Stanislaus

Biography

 * Index to Santa Clara County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Santa Clara County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Santa Clara County Published Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Cemeteries

 * 1838-1985 at FamilySearch - [[California, Santa Clara County, San Jose, Oak Hill Cemetery Headstone Inscriptions - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * How to Use this Collection]]; index

Census

 * 1870 - Index to Santa Clara County Census Records by Township (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Gilroy, Los Gatos, Naglee (San Jose), Palo Alto, San Jose and Willow Glen (San Jose). List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

History

 * Index to Santa Clara County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Civil War

 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company D
 * - 1st Regiment, California Cavalry (Union), New Company E
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C


 * 1883 - Santa Clara County, California - List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1884, 1886 - Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Post Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Wisconsin Civil War Soldiers Buried in San Jose, California (Genealogy Trails)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II

 * Index of World War II Army Enlistees, Santa Clara County, California (USGenWeb Archives)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images (NOTE: As of October 2018, no Santa Clara County records were in this collection. Check the image list for county coverage.)
 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch - [[California, Northern U.S. District Court Naturalization Index - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * How to Use this Collection]]; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research

Obituaries

 * Index to Santa Clara County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Santa Clara County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Family History Centers

 * Fremont California Family History Center
 * Hayward California Family History Center
 * Livermore California Family History Center
 * Los Altos California Family History Center
 * Menlo Park California Family History Center
 * Pleasanton California Family History Center
 * San Jose California Family History Center
 * Santa Clara California Family History Center
 * Santa Cruz California Family History Center

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth
The website for the Office of the Clerk-Recorder for Santa Clara County has information about how to request birth records. They have births after 1873.

Online Records


 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Marriage
The website for the Office of the Clerk-Recorder for Santa Clara County has information about how to request marriage records. They have marriages after 1851.

Online Records


 * 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. ''Also at: [https://www.myh
 * Santa Clara County Marriage Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

 * 1966 - 1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Death
The website for the Office of the Clerk-Recorder for Santa Clara County has information about how to request death records. They have deaths after 1873.

Online Records


 * 1776 - 2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Voting Registers

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Gilroy Historical Society PO Box 2190 Gilroy, CA 95021 Website

Los Altos Hills Historical Society 27200 Elena Road Los Altos, CA 94022 Website

Morgan Hill Historical Society PO Box 1258 Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Website

Palo Alto Historical Association PO Box 193 Palo Alto, CA 94302 Website

Saratoga Historical Foundation PO Box 172 Saratoga, CA 95070 Website

Stanford Historical Society PO Box 2328 Stanford, CA 94309-2328 Website

Santa Clara County Historical And Genealogical Society 2635 Homestead Road Santa Clara 95051 Website

California Pioneers of Santa Clara County PO Box 8208 San Jose, CA 95155 Facebook

Cupertino Historical Society and Museum 10185 N. Stelling Road Cupertino, CA 95014 Website


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * Santa Clara County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Santa Clara County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Santa Clara County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Santa Clara County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)