San Diego County, California Genealogy

Guide to San Diego County, California ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county seat San Diego and the county were created February 18, 1850. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
San Diego County Courthouse 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: 619-844-2700 San Diego County Website

Superior Court records from 1850. Superior Court has probate, civil and divorce records. County Clerk Recorder has birth records from 1857, marriage records from 1856, death records from 1873, and land records from 1850’s.

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:

Biographies

 * San Diego County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to San Diego County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to San Diego County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
 * San Diego County Pioneers (Genealogy Trails)

Census Records

 * 1850 U.S. Census, San Diego County, California (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records

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

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

Directories

 * 1874, 1926-1960 - San Diego City Directories in the City of San Diego Digital Archives — PDFs, downloadable and searchable.
 * 1939 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1939 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1940 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1940 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1941 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1941 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1942 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1942 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1944 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1944 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1947 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1947 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1953 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1953 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1956 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1956 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1957 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1957 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1958 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1958 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1960 San Diego, California, City Directory, 1960 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1904-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1923 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1907-1956 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1929-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Index to Federal Land Records, San Diego County (USGenWeb Archives)
 * City of San Diego Digital Archives at the City of San Diego Website — Historic Documents: Clerk Tax Certificates, Deeds, Leases and Contracts, Lot Books, Municipal Tideland Leases, Pueblo Land Abstract, Pueblo Lot Index, Sale of Pueblo Lots Index A-Z, Street Improvement Assessment Roll, Planning Maps

Local Histories

 * San Diego County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps and Gazetteers

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


 * Maps of California (1850-1925)

Migration

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

Military Records

 * Obituaries for Military Veterans - Scroll down to Obituaries. (USGenWeb Archives)

 Civil War
 * 1883 San Diego County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 Civil War Veterans, Heintzelman Post No. 33, G. A. R. 1886
 * Barbara Palmer. The Civil War veterans of San Diego, CA : including citations to genealogical research sources in San Diego, California. San Diego? California : Barbara Palmer, c1999 FS Library 979.498/S1 M2p]

 World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 World War II
 * San Diego County, World War II Army Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images


 * 1868-1958 San Diego Naturalization Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

 * Index to San Diego County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Surname Index to San Diego County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1909-1910 Obituary Index to San Diego Union

Voting Records
California county clerks were to keep voting registers every other year from 1866 and well into the 20th century. These large books, called Great Registers, listed the men who registered to vote in that county. Besides name and age, the record may show place of birth, address, occupation, naturalization date and sometimes even a physical description.

These records are at the California State Library (1866-1944), and microfilmed copies are available through FamilySearch Centers (1866-1910). Ancestry ($) has a searchable database of San Diego Great Registers from 1867-1898.

The San Diego records indexes for 1866-1879 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.


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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1848-1900 Abstracts of Wills, 1848 to 1900, San Diego County, California, on film, office of the County Clerk at FamilySearch — images
 * 1849-1899 Index to San Diego County Wills, 1849-1899 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to San Diego County Wills (USGenWeb Archives)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * San Diego County Birth Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * San Diego County Marriage Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Death

 * 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * San Diego County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the San Diego, Oceanside, Chula Vista, Escondido, San Marcos, El Cajon and Carlsbad areas.
 * San Diego County Death Records (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * El Centro California FamilySearch Center
 * Escondido California FamilySearch Center
 * Jamul California FamilySearch Center
 * Murrieta California FamilySearch Center
 * Penasquitos California FamilySearch Center
 * Poway California FamilySearch Center
 * San Diego California East FamilySearch Center
 * San Diego California FamilySearch Center
 * San Diego California Sweetwater FamilySearch Center
 * Vista California FamilySearch Center
 * Escondido Public Library - Pioneer Room - an affiliate library

Libraries
Carlsbad City Library 1775 Dove Lane Carlsbad, CA 92011 Phone: 442-339-2049 Website

Societies
Alpine Historical Society Website British Isles Genealogical Research Association PO Box 19775 San Deigo, CA 92159-0775 Carlsbad Historical Society Website Chula Vista Genealogical Society PO Box 3024 Chula Vista, CA 91909 Website El Cajon Historical Society PO Box 1973 El Cajon, CA 9220 Website Encinitas Historical Society Website Escondido Genealogical Society, Inc Escondido, CA 92033-2190 Fallbrook Historical Society PO Box 1375 Fallbrook CA 92088 Gaslamp Black History Society PO Box 1122469 San Diego, CA 92112-2469 Julian Historical Society PO Box 513 Julian, CA 92036 La Jolla Historical Society PO Box 2085 La Jolla, CA 92038 La Mesa Historical Society PO Box 882 La Mesa CA 92044 Lakeside Historical Society Website Lemon Grove Historical Society Website North San Diego County Genealogical Society PO Box 581 Carlsbad CA 92008PO Website Oceanside Historical Society Website Poway Historical and Memorial Society Website Ramona Pioneer Historical Society PO Box 625 Ramona, CA 92065 San Diego African American Genealogy Research Group PO Box 740240 San Diego, CA 92174-0240 Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society Website San Diego African-American Genealogy Research Group (SDAAGRG) PO Box 741956 San Diego, CA 92174-1956 San Diego County Genealogical Society PO Box 422 Ramona, CA 92065 San Diego Genealogical Society 2925 Kalmia Street San Diego 92104 Website San Diego Genealogical Society 7343 Ronson Road Suite O San Diego, CA 92111-1430 Phone: (858) 279-7347 San Diego History Center PO Box 81825 San Diego, CA 92138 San Diego Jewish Genealogical Society PO Box 927089 San Diego, CA 92192-7089 San Marcos Historical Society Website Santee Historical Society Website Shrine Foundation Historical Society 2482 San Diego Avenue San Diego, CA 92110 Solana Beach Civil and Historical Society Website Spring Valley Historical Society Website Temecula Valley Historical Society Website Valley Center Historical Society Website Vista Historical Society 2317 Old Foothill Drive Vista, CA 92084

Websites

 * San Diego County CAGenWeb
 * San Diego County, USGenWeb Archives
 * San Diego, California Genealogy Trails
 * Linkpendium
 * San Diego County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.