France, Loire-Atlantique, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection is an index of vital records from the Departmental Archives of Loire-Atlantic. Original records are in the custody of Archives Départementales de Loiret-Atlantique, France.

Reading These Records
For help reading these records please see the following:
 * France Language and Languages
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * French Handwriting
 * Brigham Young University, Center for Family History & Genealogy French Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading French Handwritten Records

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Name
 * Birthdate
 * Birthplace
 * Gender
 * Parent's names

Marriage
 * Names of the bridal couple
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Couple's age or birth year

Death
 * Name of deceased
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Gender
 * Birth year or age
 * Parents' names
 * Spouse's name

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are searching for
 * Date of event (birth, marriage, or death)
 * Event place

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age of the person to find an approximate birth year to search church records
 * Carefully evaluate each piece of information given and save a copy or transcription of the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership
 * Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Consult the France Record Finder to find other records
 * Switch to a different record collection, such as civil registration or church records. Depending on the time period, one or the other collection may be more helpful
 * While searching, it is helpful to know the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name, and that people may have be recorded with a variation of their name
 * Spelling was not standardized until the 1900s, so try substituting characters with similar sounds (b,d; f,p; f,v; etc.).

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in France.
 * Record Finder
 * 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.