Georgia, County Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of marriages recorded in Georgia counties for the years 1785 to 1950. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed. The year range represents most of the records, although a few counties may have records from earlier or later.

Marriages were recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred. Civil marriage records were created to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property. The records are arranged by county, then by volume and year range. Marriage records were generally well preserved, although fires, floods, or other disasters may have destroyed some. The earliest records were usually handwritten on loose papers and later bound into lettered volumes. Some marriage records had multiple entries on each page while others had single records per page.

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


 * Name of the groom
 * Name of the bride, often including the maiden name of the bride
 * Names of the officiator and witnesses
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place


 * Names of the parents or guardians of the bride and groom
 * Birthplaces of the bride and groom
 * Residences of the bride and groom
 * Age and races of the bride and groom
 * Marital status of the bride and groom

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The date of the event or the name of a parent or spouse

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 information to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death
 * Witnesses or bondsmen listed on the marriage record were usually relatives. Search for additional family members
 * The officiator of the marriage may be a clue to the religion of the couple, and lead you to church records

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

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Georgia.
 * Georgia Guided Research
 * Georgia Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Georgia Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * A resource guide to Georgia marriage records Atlanta, Georgia : Georgia Genealogical Society, c2006 FHL 975.8 V23g

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967
 * Georgia, Hall County Marriages, 1950-2005

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying you sources helps others find the records you used.

Georgia, matrimonios del condado (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)