Scotland Census, 1901 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Scotland

What is in This Collection?
Every ten years from 1801 the British government took the census. This collection covers the 1901 census which was enumerated on 31 March. The data is provided by Findmypast. The census forms were sent to all households and were later collected the following day by the enumerators. They listed the names of people who spent the night in their households. They also contain returns from ships of the Royal Navy at sea and ports abroad. This collection consist of over 4 million records, and images are not available at this time.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Census records for 1901 contain the following information:
 * Name
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Parish and county of birth
 * Registration District
 * Estimated Birth Year

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the individual
 * Age
 * Place of Residence

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth year and birth place to search for a birth record
 * Try finding family members who may be listed with your ancestor on the census record
 * Look for people who have the same surname as your ancestor and who live in the same vicinity; they may be related
 * Look for the families of children in later census years
 * Check each census for the period in which a person lived to verify the information in any particular census year and to find additional information

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Given names may not be the same as a name recorded in church or vital records
 * The information may be incorrect
 * Names may be spelled phonetically (or as they sounded to the census taker)
 * Place-names may be misspelled
 * Individuals missing from a family may be listed elsewhere in the census
 * Children might have taken the name of the stepfather if the mother remarried
 * The family name may have been altered after emigration from Scotland
 * You may have to read around marks made by the clerks who compiled the census data. These marks sometimes obscure the information

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Scotland. Add these articles in the order as shown below. If an article does not exist, omit it from the list. If none of the articles exist, omit this section.
 * Scotland Guided Research
 * Scotland Record Finder
 * Scotland Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
 * Collection Citation: "Scotland Census, 1901", Database. FamilySearch. https://familysearch.org : 28 April 2019.