Washington Census Tips

United States Census Washington Census  Tips

Benefits of Censuses

 * Censuses reveal specifics about the family, such as names, ages, birthplaces. (See Contents of Federal Censuses)
 * A census locates the family—where records about them were likely created. (See also Using the Census to find other records)
 * Every census of the family provides clues that help you learn even more about them.

Census Tips

 * Why:
 * Relatives, such as grandchildren or married children, may live with them
 * They may live with a child, such as a married daughter, in their later years
 * Neighbors may be relatives or old friends from their home state.


 * Why:
 * You may find sisters living in the area.
 * Your ancestor's widowed mother may have remarried.
 * Notice the ages: were the women old enough to be sisters? Aunts? The mother?
 * Notice your ancestor's deeds and other records: Were any of those husbands witnesses?


 * Why:
 * Gaps in ages of children may be a clue to:
 * A second marriage of the couple: Check marriage records for this.
 * A child died young. Check cemetery, church, funeral, and other records.
 * Where the children were born (state, nation) may be a clue to:
 * When the family migrated
 * Ages of husband and wife may be clues:
 * In a second marriage, the husband may be older than the wife.
 * Compare ages of the wife and the children:
 * The oldest child: was the wife too young to be the mother? (Child-bearing years for most women were between 16–40.)
 * The youngest child: was the wife too old?


 * For example:

Maiden Name of Mother
A child's middle name is sometimes the maiden name of the mother

Immigration and Naturalization
Some federal censuses give the year of immigration.