Denmark, Censuses - FamilySearch Historical Records

Denmark

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include census records from 1787-1930. Indexes and images will be published as separate collections. See the section "FamilySearch Historical Records Collections" below to access the article for a specific year.

Censuses usually have information about age, occupation, civil status, and people living in a household. Some censuses also recorded religion, physical and mental condition, number of living and deceased children, year of marriage or divorce, previous residence, and immigration or emigration date.

Most Census records are arranged by county (amt), parish (sogn), and then village or farm (stednavn). To find the locality of your ancestor, go to Krabsen's Placenames. Beginning in 1870, the census is arranged alphabetically by street for the large cities in Denmark. Sometimes you can find the street address in the church records at the time of a birth, marriage, or death in the family. Other sources for street address are business directories; civil certificates of birth, marriage, or death; probate records; or court records. For more information on understanding Danish census records, see Denmark Census Information and also Denmark Online Genealogy Records.

The first general census in Denmark with genealogical information was taken during the summer of 1787 but is not a complete record. The next census was taken in 1801, and then again in 1834. Beginning in 1840, a census was taken every five years until 1860. After 1860, the census was taken every ten years until the end of the century. Beginning in 1901, censuses were again taken every five years. Copenhagen had a city census taken in 1769. After 1860, Holstein county will be found in Austrian records. Slesvig county will be found in Danish censuses only between 1848 and 1860 and in Prussian records all other years. Non-Lutherans may be listed in census records separately.

Census records less than sixty-five years old are not part of this collection since they are confidential and may not be searched by individuals. The most recent census which has been released is the 1916 census. It can be found online at Danish Government Census Records. The government will make limited searches in the 1920 and 1925 censuses. For help using the Danish Government Census Records, see the Danish Demographic Database.

Transcribed census records in the Danish language with English translation can be found at the Index to Danish Government Census Records. Be aware that exact names of people, county, parish, and district are necessary to find your ancestors on this website.

For detailed information on using Danish census records, see the wiki article: Denmark Census FamilySearch or the Danish National Archive's page, Records and registriesCensus lists.

To find your ancestor within a census record, a basic understanding of Danish naming traditions is necessary. See the article Danish Naming Traditions.

Reading These Records
These records are in Danish with the exception of Schleswig and parts of northern Jutland where some records may be in German.
 * Danish Word List
 * Denmark Language and Languages
 * Danish Genealogical Word List
 * Denmark Handwriting
 * Danish National Archives Genealogy

Counties of Denmark
To find your ancestor in the Danish censuses, it is helpful to know the county and parish of their residence.

Click on a county in the interactive map below to take you to a listing of judicial districts and parishes within that county. From that page a listing of towns and farms within each parish can be found by clicking on the parish name or scrolling to the end of the page for a listing. In 1793 the counties were reorganized into 24 counties, however, Roskilde is filed under København so only 23 counties are listed below. The churches in Copenhagen City are listed under the city rather than the county.

If county and parish residence for your ancestor are unknown, a search by farm or town can be made at Krabsen's Placenames. This is an online database of Danish place names that can be searched to locate your ancestors' county (amt), parish (sogn), judicial district (herred) or town (stednavn) at any level.

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What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 3 When searching census records, it is important to remember the following:
 * Accept the ages with caution.
 * Women are usually listed by their maiden surnames (until the late 1800's, depending on the individual).
 * Given names may not always be spelled exactly the same or be as complete as those recorded in vital records.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Sample Images
To view sample images from this collection along with translations of their headings, see the wiki article Denmark Census Images - FamilySearch Historical Records.

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

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections
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How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?
Dinamarca, Censos (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)