Peru, Lima, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registro Civil de Lima, Peru.

Record Description
Civil registration in Peru started on June 21, 1852.

This collection includes records from 1874-1997.

The earlier records are all handwritten in a narrative format. The later records are also handwritten but on a printed format. Some of their text may also vary slightly.

Additional information about these records can be found in the wiki article Peru Civil Registration.

Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population. In 1852, during the Republican Era, the government instituted civil registration. This was first done by political authorities, such as prefecture, subprefecture, and state. In 1856, this responsibility was given to municipalities. Currently, civil registration is in the hands of RENIEC, which delegates the registration process to municipal registrars.

In 1876, Peru’s census counted a population of 2.6 million residents, with just over 100,000 of those living in Lima. By 1900, Peru’s population numbered 3.8 million, with 223,807 in Lima. The Family History Library’s collection includes civil registers from the following municipalities:


 * Lima o Cercado de lima
 * Ancón
 * Barranco
 * Chorrillos
 * Lurigancho
 * Magdalena del Mar
 * Magdalena Vieja
 * Miraflores
 * San Miguel (previously known as San Miguel del Mar)
 * Santiago de Surco (previously known as San José de Surco)

Civil registration in Peru identifies all its residents and issues certificates regarding their identity. The registration of births, marriages, and deaths documents the civil status of the residents.

The information in civil records may be the most accurate available for finding an ancestor who lived in Peru. Parish records would be next best since they were created much earlier than the civil records.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Important genealogical information found in birth records include:


 * Date and place of the registration
 * Name and sex of the newborn
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents’ names (sometimes their ages) and residence (or birthplace)
 * Grandparents’ names

Important genealogical information found in marriage records include:


 * Date and place of the registration
 * Bride’s full name (including maiden name)
 * Groom’s full name
 * Bride and groom ages (or birth dates)
 * Bride and groom place of residence and/or birth place
 * Their civil status (single, divorced, or widowed)
 * Their parents’ names and birthplaces and/or current residence
 * Names of the witnesses (these are usually relatives or close friends of the couple)

Important genealogical information found in birth records include:


 * Time, date, and place of the registration
 * Name of the principal (deceased)
 * Place, date, time, and cause of death
 * Principal's occupation
 * Principal’s age (or birthplace and date)
 * Parents’ names
 * Name of witnesses and their residence
 * Name of person registering the death and his/her relationship to the deceased

How to Use the Record
To search the collection using the index:

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Departamento o región" category ⇒ Select the "Provincia" category ⇒ Select the "Distrito o municipalidad" category ⇒ Select the "Tipo de registro y años" category which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

For genealogical research, the birth, marriage, and death records contain important information for at least two and sometimes three generations of ancestors in one document.

Related Websites

 * National Library of Peru

Related Wiki Articles

 * Peru
 * Peru Civil Registration
 * Peru History

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Peru, Lima Civil Registration, 1874-1930." database and digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC3H-4Z4: accessed 1 May 2012).r Victor Galindo, 6 October 1920; citing Civil Registrations, Archivo General de la Nacion de Peru, Lima, Peru, FHL microfillm 1,160,207, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA