Tennessee Research Tips and Strategies

Tennessee Research Strategies
Links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Tennessee


 * Tennessee Online Genealogy Records
 * How to find Tennessee Birth Records
 * How to find Tennessee Marriage Records
 * How to find Tennessee Death Records

Tennessee Research Tips
These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Tennessee.

Birth information Statewide registration of births began in 1914 in Tennessee with general compliance by 1927. The best substitute record for locating birth information is death records (the majority of death records will list the date of birth of the decedent, and since death certificates are considered a primary resource, they can provide you with the same documentation as a birth certificate). Or, try these other substitute records.

Finding Parents  Statewide registration of deaths began in 1914 in Tennessee with general compliance by 1936. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Tennessee death records

Look in all censuses  Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.

Tennessee Record Finder
This Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.

To look for more Tennessee records, go here.

Further Tennessee Research
For more research on Tennessee, including research at the county level, visit the Tennessee page on the Research Wiki.

Search all of the Tennessee record collections at FamilySearch.