San Mateo County, California Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Saint Louis of Toulouse. The county seat Redwood City and the county were created in 1856. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
San Mateo County Courthouse 400 County Center Redwood City, CA 94603 Phone: 650-261-5100 San Mateo County Website

County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage and death record from 1866, divorce, court and land records from 1880 and probate from 1856.

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 Mateo County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to San Mateo County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Schellens Collection of Historical Materials - Names
 * Schellens Collection of Historical Materials - Businesses

Census Records

 * 1860 San Mateo Township - Partial (Genealogy Trails)

Church Records

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

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records
 * Burlingame
 * Redwood City
 * San Mateo

Roman Catholic
 * Archdiocese of San Francisco
 * Archives 320 Middlefield Road Menlo Park, CA 94063 email: [mailto:sfarchiv@concentric.net sfarchiv@concentric.net] telephone: (650) 328-6502
 * San Mateo County Parishes
 * History of Diocese on Wikipedia

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Superior Court of San Mateo
 * Index to Early San Mateo County Court Records

County Records
 Crime and Criminals Index to Sheriff's Office Booking Registers
 * 1851-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Directories

 * 1881 Directory of the Grape Growers and Wine Makers of California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1898 List of Subscribers of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. and Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Co. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1948 Redwood, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1948 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1950-1951 Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, California, City Directory, 1950 - 1951 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1952 Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo and Millbrae, California, City Directory, 1952 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1954 Redwood, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1954 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1955 Redwood, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1955 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1955 San Bruno, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1955 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1958 Polk's San Carlos, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1958 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1959 Redwood, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1959 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1959 San Bruno, San Mateo County, California, City Directory, 1959 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Land and Property Records
The Spanish and Mexican Governments distributed the bulk of San Mateo County lands to those who had served the government or military. Most of the Rancho owners also had residences around Mission Dolores in the current San Francisco.

Patents were recorded in San Mateo County in Patent Books 1-3. SMCGS has Indexed the records and images are available in the San Mateo County Record collection on FamilySearch.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1851-1924 (*); San Mateo County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1856-1967 (*); San Mateo County Clerk at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1851-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Index to San Luis Obispo County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Local Histories

 * San Mateo History.
 * San Mateo History Museum
 * California Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
 * WorldCat

Maps and Gazetteers

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

County of San Mateo - Mappery

Migration

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

Military Records

 * 1851-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images


 * 1856-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1883 San Mateo County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

 Civil War
 * 1886 San Mateo County Civil War Veterans Roster, Fred. Steele Post No. 70, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)

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

 World War II
 * Index to San Mateo County World War II Army Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)
 * San Mateo County Wworld War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
All naturalization records produced by San Mateo County Courts are held by the San Mateo County Recorders Office. This appears to be a complete set of all the Declarations of Intention to become a citizen and Petitions for the entire time the local courts handled naturalizations. The last record is from the year 1983. The earliest records are in an envelope file, and many records have Declarations attached which were filed elsewhere. The San Mateo County Genealogical Society has indexed these volumes through 1945.

SMC Naturalization Indexes


 * Prior to 1906
 * 1907-1925
 * 1926-1945
 * post 1945

There are references to early naturalizations in the Court Docket books which are located in the San Mateo County Historical Society Archives. All names found in these volumes are also found in the Records office records.

The Naturalizations for Camp Fremont are contained in volumes dated May 1917 to March 1918. The special military naturalization required no Declaration of Intention, therefore the complete record will be contained in one volume. Naturalized soldiers were from all over the United States. Originals are located in the SMC Recorder's Office offsite storage facility. SMCGS has also indexed those volumes.

Camp Fremont Naturalization Index Naturalizations filed by San Mateo County in the California Northern District court are located at the National Archives in San Bruno.

SMCGS also transcribed a card file of naturalized voters, which is also located in the Recorders Office.

Naturalized Voter Card File All Naturalization Records after 1906 can be ordered from USCIS


 * 1851-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images


 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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

 * San Mateo County Obituaries, from various sources: USGenWeb Archives, Genealogy Trails, San Mateo County Genealogical Society (SMCGS), GenealogyBank, and others (CAGenWeb Project).
 * SMCGS Obituary Collection. Thousands of indexed obituaries from local newspapers and other sources. Copies of obituaries may be obtained from SMCGS for a small fee (refer to website).
 * San Mateo County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * San Mateo County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Voting Records

 * 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

Unfortunately, FamilySearch has no probate files for San Mateo County. Some early probate ledgers are available in the San Mateo County Historical Association Archives, the rest are available from the Superior Court not the County Recorder.
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

School Records
Sequoia High School - Redwood City - 1st High School in County

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

Vital Records
You can get informational copies of birth and death certificates from the San Mateo County Clerk. Print and complete an Application for Certified Copy of Vital Record As with other California counties, requests for an Official Certified Copy of either birth or death records must be notarized.Requests for an Informational Certified Copy do not need to be notarized.

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 Mateo County Birth Index to 1965
 * San Mateo Vital Record notice

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1851-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1948 San Mateo County Marriage Index
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Research Guide - San Mateo County Birth and Marriage Records

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 Mateo County Coroner's Record Index
 * Finding Aid to Coroner's Records on Family Search

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Fremont California FamilySearch Center
 * Hayward California FamilySearch Center
 * Los Altos California FamilySearch Center
 * Menlo Park California FamilySearch Center
 * Pleasanton California FamilySearch Center
 * San Francisco California FamilySearch Center
 * San Francisco California West FamilySearch Center
 * San Jose California FamilySearch Center
 * San Mateo California FamilySearch Center
 * Santa Clara California FamilySearch Center

Libraries
San Mateo County GenealogyWebsite

Societies
Belmont Historical Society 1225 Ralston Avenue Belmont, CA 94002-1902 Website Burlingame Historical Society PO Box 144 Burlingame, CA 94011 Website Millbrae Historical Society PO Box 511 420 Poplar Avenue Millbrae, CA 94030 Phone: 650-692-5786 Website San Mateo County Genealogical Society PO Box 5569 Redwood City, CA 94063-5569 Phone: 650.306.3423 Website San Mateo County Historical Association 777 Hamilton Street Redwood City, CA 94063 Website South San Francisco Historical Society, Inc. Website

Websites

 * San Mateo County Places sfgenealogy
 * San Mateo County Genealogical Society
 * San Mateo County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * San Mateo County, California Genealogy Trails
 * San Mateo 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.