Puerto Rico Births- What else you can try
This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Puerto Rico Guided Research page.
Additional online resources
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Additional Databases and Online Resources
- 1885-2001: Puerto Rico, Civil Registrations at Ancestry ($)
Online Images (Browsable Only)
Some collections have not been indexed, but are available to browse image by image.
| Time Period | Record Type | Collection Name | Repository |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | Slave Schedule | Slave Schedules of Puerto Rico, 1872  Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index. |
FamilySearch Catalog |
| 1867-1876 | Slave Schedule | Registro de esclavos, 1867-1876 (Slave Schedule) Click the question mark for instructions for how to search catalog browsable images when there is no index. |
FamilySearch Catalog |
Substitute records
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Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.
| Use these substitute records to locate birth information about your ancestor: | ||
| Why to search the records | ||
| Gravestone inscriptions and cemetery records may include a birthdate. | ||
| Census records from 1910 onward and the Social Populations Schedule for 1935-1936 give family order in the household, sex and ages of all individuals, where born and other personal details. Many times these are estimated, so other sources need to be checked to verify accuracy. | ||
| The naturalization records can give birth information, parents' names, physical description, names of spouse and children. | ||
| Genealogies can provide information which can provide birth date and place. | ||
| These slave records usually include the slave's name, owner's name, job, age, height, ethnicity hair, beard, eyes, nose, mouth, unique physical attributes, and child/children's names. | ||
Improve searching
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Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
- Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
- Puerto Rican Surnames. Puerto Ricans used the last names of both parents as the surname. Try using one surname, then the other surname, or both surnames together.
- Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
- Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
- Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
- Search Municipality. Search using the municipality only without the country name.
Why the record may not exist
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Known Record Gaps
Records Start
- pre-1885 Nationwide Civil Registration.
Records Published by FamilySearch
Collection coverage tables show the places and time periods of original records published by FamilySearch. For any FamilySearch collections you did not find your ancestor in, check the coverage table for gaps in the online collection. If the time period or location your ancestor lived in is missing from the collection, it may require searches in records found at original repository or finding substitute records for the event.
- Iowa Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- Iowa Births and Christenings, Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records
Records Destroyed
The following counties had record loss. Click on the county for more information.
