Kauai County, Hawaii Genealogy

Guide to Kauai County, Hawaii ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county seat is Lihue and was founded in 1905. It is located in the islands of Kauaʻi, Niʻihau, Lehua, and Kaʻula.

County Courthouse
Kauai County Courthouse 4396 Rice Street Lihue, HI 96766 Phone: 808-241-4188 Kauai County Courthouse

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:

History Timeline
Kauai is known as the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km), it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the “Garden Isle”, Kauai lies 105 miles (170 km) across the Kauai Channel, northwest of Oahu. This island is the Site of the Waimea Canyon State Park. The United States Census Bureau defines Kauai as Census as Census Tracts 401 through 409 of Kauai County, Hawaii, which is all of the county excepts for the islands of Ka’ula Lehua, and Ni’ihau. The 2000 census population of Kauai (the island was 58, 303 There is no known meaning behind the name of Kauai. Native Hawaiian tradition indicates the name's origin in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa — the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates how he named the island of Kauai after a favorite son; therefore a possible translation of Kauai is "place around the neck", meaning how a father would carry a favorite child. Another possible translation is "food season.  Kauai was known for its distinct dialect of the Hawaiian language before it went extinct there. Whereas the standard language today is based on the dialect of Hawaii Island, which has the sound [k] at the beginning of words, the Kauai dialect was known for pronouncing this as [t]. In effect, Kauai dialect retained the old pan-Polynesian /t/, while 'standard' Hawaii dialect has innovated and changed it to the [k]. Therefore, the native name for Kauai was Kauai, and the major settlement of Kapaau would have been called Tamara. Kauai’s origins are volcanic. The highest peak on this mountainous island is Kawaikini at 5,243 feet (1,598 m).] The second highest peak is Mount Waiʻaleʻale near the center of the island, 5,148 feet (1,569 m) above sea level. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual average rainfall of 460 inches (1,200 cm), is located on the east side of Mount Waiʻaleʻale. The high annual rainfall has eroded deep valleys in the central mountains, carving out canyons with many scenic waterfalls. On the west side of the island, Waimea town is located at the mouth of the Waimea River, whose flow formed Waimea Canyon, one of the world's most scenic canyons, and which is part of Waimea Canyon State Park. At 3,000 feet (914 m) deep, Waimea Canyon is often referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". The Na Pali Coast is a center for recreation in a wild setting, including kayaking past the beaches, or hiking on the trail along the coastal cliffs. During the reign of King Kamehameha, the islands of Kauai and Niʻihau were the last Hawaiian Islands to join his Kingdom of Hawaii. Their ruler, Kaumualiʻi, resisted Kamehameha for years. King Kamehameha twice prepared a huge armada of ships and canoes to take the islands by force and twice failed; once due to a storm, and once due to an epidemic. In the face of the threat of a further invasion, however, Kaumualiʻi decided to join the kingdom without bloodshed, and became Kamehameha's vassal in 1810, ceding the island to the Kingdom of Hawaii upon his death in 1824. In 1815-17, Kaumualiʻi led secret negotiations with representatives of the Russian-American Company in an attempt to gain Russia's military help against Kamehameha; however, the negotiations folded and the Russians were forced to abandon all of their presence in Kauai, including Fort Elizabeth, after it was revealed that they did not have the support of Tsar Alexander I. [missing reference]

Census Records

 * 1849
 * 1850
 * 1866
 * 1890
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * See also Using the Census to find other records about ancestors

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

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1849-1900 Hawaii, U.S., Passport Records, 1849-1900 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1847-1898 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1845-1909 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1838-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Obituaries

 * Ca. 1980-Present at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1982-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Voting Records

 * 1864-1910 Hawaii, U.S., Voter Records, 1864-1910 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1814-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1822-1962 Hawaii Wills and Probate Records 1822-1962 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1847-1903 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1841-1944 Hawaii, U.S., Birth Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1944 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1843-1909 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1850-1950 Hawaii, U.S., Births, Marriages, and Death Cards, 1850-1950 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Marriage

 * 1803-1940 Hawaii, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index $
 * 1841-1944 Hawaii, U.S., Marriage Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1944 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1850-1950 Hawaii, U.S., Births, Marriages, and Death Cards, 1850-1950 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1909-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Death

 * 1841-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1841-1942 Hawaii, U.S., Death Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1942 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1850-1950 Hawaii, U.S., Births, Marriages, and Death Cards, 1850-1950 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Divorce

 * 1848-1892 Hawaii, U.S., Divorce Records, 1848-1892 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1849-1915 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * Kapaa Hawaii FamilySearch Center
 * Kauai Hawaii FamilySearch Center
 * Kekaha Hawaii FamilySearch Center

Societies
Kaua‘i Historical Society Historic County Building 4396 Rice Street Suite 101 P.O. Box 1778 Lihu‘e, HI 96766 808 245-3373 Email: [mailto:info@kauaihistoricalsociety.org nfo@kauaihistoricalsociety.org] Website

Websites

 * Kauai HIGenWeb
 * Kauai County, HI Linkpendium
 * – 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.