India Genealogical Records

India Birth & Baptism Records

British India Births and Baptisms (1710-1960)

Digital images, searchable by a name and place index, of registers recording over 700,000 baptisms in British India. They comprise largely of baptisms performed in Anglican and Presbyterian churches, but include records of other faiths, such as Catholic and Armenian Apostolic.

European Births and Baptisms in India (1786-1947)

An index of baptisms from European churches in India. The records typically record the child's name, date of birth & baptism, and parents' names. Original records can be viewed at the British Library or LDS centres.

British Civil Service Evidence of Age Index (1752-1948)

An index to evidences provided to the British Civil Service Commission to establish the age of prospective and current civil servants. The index includes date & place of birth and provides a reference to surviving documents.

Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects (1627-1965)

Registers of births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials containing over 160,000 entries from over 30 countries. These largely relate to British subjects.

British Nationals Born Overseas (1818-2006)

An index to births of British citizens born overseas that were registered with the British Consul or High Commissioner. Provides a reference that can be used to order a birth certificate.

India Marriage & Divorce Records

British India Marriages (1710-1983)

Digital images, searchable by a name and place index, of registers recording over 450,000 marriages in British India. They comprise largely of marriages performed in Anglican and Presbyterian churches, but include records of other faiths, such as Catholic and Armenian Apostolic.

European Marriages in India (1792-1948)

An index to marriages solemnised in European churches in India. The records typically record the date of marriage, names of those to be wed and their father's names. Original records can be viewed at the British Library or LDS centres.

Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects (1627-1965)

Registers of births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials containing over 160,000 entries from over 30 countries. These largely relate to British subjects.

British Nationals Married Overseas (1818-2005)

An index to marriages of British citizens overseas that were registered with the British Consul or High Commissioner Provides a reference that can be used to order a marriage certificate.

British Nationals Married Overseas (1818-2005)

An index to marriages of British citizens abroad registered with the British Consul or the UK High Commission.

India Death & Burial Records

British India Deaths and Burials (1710-1959)

Digital images, searchable by a name and place index, of registers recording over 450,000 burials in British India. They comprise largely of burials recorded by Anglican and Presbyterian churches, but include records of other faiths, such as Catholic and Armenian Apostolic.

European Deaths and Burials in India (1719-1948)

An index of burials registered by European churches in India. They typically record the name of the deceased, date of death and date of burial. Original records can be viewed at the British Library or LDS centres.

Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects (1627-1965)

Registers of births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials containing over 160,000 entries from over 30 countries. These largely relate to British subjects.

Jewish Online Worldwide Burial Registry (1550-Present)

A searchable database of over 1 million Jewish burials with photographs of the matzevot.

Commonwealth WWII Civilian Deaths (1939-1945)

This database contains seven volumes listing civilians in the British Commonwealth and Empire who died during World War II.

Newspapers Covering India

Allen's Indian Mail (1845-1873)

A periodical containing birth, marriage & death announcements, military appointments, announcements & casualties, passenger lists and many other details, including news of the British Empire in the East. Most editions up to 1873.

Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper (1842-1900)

A moderate liberal newspaper published in London, but covering news throughout the British Empire. Regularly published births, marriages and deaths.

Reynold's News (1850-1900)

A 'radical' liberal magazine published for the working class.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay (1841-1954)

A periodical that covers various facet's of India's history.

Morning Chronicle (1801-1865)

A national newspaper with a Whig allegiance. The newspaper was the first to report on the proceedings of Parliament. It gave a large amount of column-space to politics, but covered literature and other topics.

India Wills & Probate Records

British India Wills & Probate (1774-1948)

Digital images of wills, inventories, administrations and other probate documents of residents of the Indian Empire. The documents can be searched by a name and place index. They relate largely to British subjects, but also contain other Europeans, Indians, Jews etc.

Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (PPV) (1384-1858)

A index to testators whose will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. They principally cover those who lived in the lower two thirds of Britain, but contain wills for residents of Scotland, Ireland, British India and other countries. A copy of each will may be purchased for digital download.

Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (Subscription) (1384-1858)

An index and digital images of PCC wills, available on a subscription basis.

Dougal's Unclaimed Money Register (1650-1910)

A register of over 70,000 unclaimed estates.

Index to Heirs at law (1700-1872)

A list of names, primarily of those who left unclaimed estates, but also relating to debts and legal cases.

India Immigration & Travel Records

Australian Convict Transportation Registers (1791-1868)

Registers recording those who by their criminal deeds were sentenced to be transported to Australia. Records include name, date & place of conviction, term of sentence, ship sailed on, departure date and the name of the colony they were to be sent to.

Transportations to New South Wales (1788-1842)

Digital images of registers recording British convicts being transported to New South Wales. Records may include age, crime, physical description, nativity, marital status, number of children, trade and more. Searchable by a name and place index.

New South Wales Convict Ship Records (1790-1849)

This database consists of ship muster lists of convicts being transported from the British Empire to New South Wales.

Devonians in the Colonies (1900-1901)

An index to records detailing the ancestry of some 300 people of Devonian descent living in British colonies and the Unite States.

India Military Records

WWI Commonwealth Casualty Lists (1914-1920)

A list of over 1.3 million British and Commonwealth servicemen who were injured during World War One.

British India Army & Navy Pensions (1772-1945)

A collection of various records that can detail biographical, genealogical and military details of British soldiers in the Indian Empire. The records can be searched by a name index, which is linked to digital images of documents.

UK WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls (1914-1920)

An index to over 6.5 million medals and awards bestowed on British military personnel. The awards are the British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal, 1914 Star, Territorial War Force Medal and Allied Subjects Medal; the latter of which contains many French, Belgians and Dutch.

Indian Army List, 1 Jan 1912 (1912)

A transcript of a work that cataloged the names, military particulars and sometimes other details such as date of birth for over 40,000 officers in the British Indian Army.

Great Britain Army War List (1893)

A listing of officers from the War Office, HQ staff, volunteer infantry brigades, RMC, field marshals, colonels, unemployed officers and more.

Perry's Bankrupt Gazette (1828-1867)

A publication giving brief details of bankruptcies, including the names of parties and companies involed.

Dougal's Unclaimed Money Register (1650-1910)

A register of over 70,000 unclaimed estates.

Calendar of State Papers Colonial (1513-1739)

Calendars to records relating to British colonies.

Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations (1704-1782)

Records of the meetings of a body that promoted British trade.

Index to Heirs at law (1700-1872)

A list of names, primarily of those who left unclaimed estates, but also relating to debts and legal cases.

India Directories & Gazetteers

Thom's Official Directory of Great Britain & Ireland (1914)

A directory of the court, parliament, aristocracy, mayors, civil service, military, militia and banks in the British Empire.

Kelly's Clergy Directory (1909)

A directory of the Church of England, its institutions and ministers.

The East India Register (1844)

A searchable copy of a book that lists those in the employ of the East India company. It also contains much official information and birth, marriage and death notices.

The Court & City Register (1783)

Books containing information of use to the upper class of the time, including notes on the royal families of Europe, British peers, MPs, military officials, government officials, important institutions and their officers, leading professionals of the Empire, calendars and more.

CIA World Factbook (1994)

A statistic and descriptive gazetteer of nations.

India Cemeteries

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.

India Histories & Books

Ancestry Member Stories (6000 BC-Present)

Over 7 million remembrances and historic details submitted by Ancestry members. Useful for local historians.

Ancestry Member Photos & Documents (6000 BC-Present)

Over 60 million historic photographs and documents submitted to Ancestry. This rich collection contains many rare sources of interest to local historians and will be relevant to most genealogical research.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay (1841-1954)

A periodical that covers various facet's of India's history.

Colonial Office List (1870)

A searchable book containing descriptions of British colonies, statistics, information on officials and more.

Colonial Office List (1863)

A searchable book containing descriptions of British colonies, statistics, information on officials and more.

India Occupation & Business Records

East India Company & Civil Service Pensions (1762-1947)

Registers recording pension applications and payments for the British East India Company and the Civil Service in British India. Can contain details on the pensioner, their family, marriages, deaths, births and other details. Contains digital images of the registers.

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

East India Register and Directory (1855)

A list of the servants of the East India Company, including civilians, military and marine personnel, European residents and mariners with interests in India. This is a searchable database, linked to digital images of the book.

East India Company Pensions (1793-1833)

Contains the name, rank, when the pension was granted, rate and source of annual pension, the period the pension was granted and the grounds on which the pension was granted for East India Company employees. Contains digital images of the registers.

India Office List (1933)

A directory of the civil service of the Government of India and military, including the dates of appointment, promotions and qualifications, recipients of medals and awards. Includes the rules and regulations of the Civil Service.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering India

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Ancestry Member Family Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A compilation of lineage-linked family trees submitted by Ancestry users. The database contains over 2 billion individuals and is searchable by numerous metrics.

Genealogics (1400 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked families. It largely covers royalty and nobility, but also contains actors, footballers and American presidents.

Ancestry World Tree (6000 BC-1997)

A collection of legacy trees submitted by Ancestry users containing nearly 400 million individuals.

India Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Genealogics (1400 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked families. It largely covers royalty and nobility, but also contains actors, footballers and American presidents.

British Imperial Calendar (1895)

A listing of the key persons of royal (and associated) institutions, from the royal family & peerage to parliament and the British Museum.

India Church Records

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

Crockford's Clerical Directory (1929)

A directory listing Anglican parishes and other divisions of the Church or England hierarchy and their various religious officers. The directory covers the UK and Anglican churches throughout the world.

Biographical Directories Covering India

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

India Maps

Old Maps Online (1497-2010)

An interactive index to thousands of maps covering the world, continents, countries and regions. The majority of maps cover Britain and Ireland.

India Reference Works

FIBIS Wiki (1600-Present)

A comprehensive guide to researching your Ancestry in British India. Contains numerous categorised sources.

Historical Description

India is bounded on the East, with China; on the West, with the River Indus, from whence it takes its denomination; on the North, with Tartary; and on the South, with the Ocean. This is the biggest Countrey, comprehended under one name, of any in the World, except Tartary and China.

Rivers

The chief Rivers of it are, Indus and Ganges.

Fertility

The Ganges doth in all manner of Minerals, except Copper and Lead; and stored with all sorts of Cattle, except Horses.

Riches

With Mines of Gold, pretious Stones, Spices of all sorts, and Civet; Wheat only and Vines are wanting.

Natures of the People

The People are indifferent civil, and ingenious; both Men and Women imitate a majesty in their frame and apparel, which they sweeten with Oyl and Perfumes, adorning themselves with Jewels, Pearls, and other ornaments befitting.

Several Nations in India

They are a Nation composed of five several sorts of People: 1. The Indians, or Natives, which are in part Gentiles, in part Christians. The second sort are Mahumetans, Persians, Tartars. The third Jews. The fourth Arabians, or Moors: and the fifth Portugals. The River Ganges divideth the Countrey into two parts, (viz.) India intra Gangem, and India extra Gangem.

A Geographical Description of the World (1671) by George Meriton

Most Common Surnames in India

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequency
1Devi70,362,1921:11
2Singh34,838,0271:22
3Kumar31,111,2481:25
4Das11,368,8101:67
5Kaur9,480,2291:81
6Ram7,228,6011:106
7Yadav6,993,4021:110
8Kumari6,615,1551:116
9Lal5,669,6791:135
10Bai5,339,8031:144
11Khatun5,276,4811:145
12Mandal5,168,0201:148
13Ali5,119,0111:150
14Sharma5,025,0451:153
15Ray4,740,4661:162
16Mondal4,655,1551:165
17Khan4,569,4031:168
18Sah4,551,1881:169
19Patel4,215,9091:182
20Prasad3,934,5261:195
21Patil3,680,4541:208
22Ghosh3,640,3911:211
23Pal2,968,6531:258
24Sahu2,841,1271:270
25Gupta2,835,9961:270
26Shaikh2,814,1261:273
27Bibi2,770,9891:277
28Sekh2,367,4911:324
29Begam2,345,9271:327
30Biswas2,256,4641:340
31Sarkar2,247,1251:341
32Paramar2,246,6771:341
33Khatoon2,203,3951:348
34Mahto2,174,4701:353
35Ansari2,096,2491:366
36Nayak2,078,5221:369
37Ma2,068,5731:371
38Rathod2,054,7991:373
39Jadhav2,054,7271:373
40Mahato2,003,8121:383
41Rani1,998,5181:384
42Barman1,961,4881:391
43Behera1,948,4781:394
44Mishra1,917,0791:400
45Chand1,915,6641:400
46Roy1,914,3891:401
47Begum1,907,6771:402
48Saha1,879,5291:408
49Paswan1,843,5681:416
50Thakur1,815,9681:422
51Thakor1,646,9071:466
52Ahamad1,626,4961:472
53Chauhan1,592,3331:482
54Pawar1,578,9071:486
55Majhi1,571,2511:488
56Bano1,563,8481:490
57Naik1,535,3901:500
58Pradhan1,493,7921:514
59Alam1,398,7601:548
60Shinde1,350,1891:568
61Malik1,334,7901:575
62Sardar1,251,2021:613
63Nath1,221,5821:628
64Raut1,201,3911:638
65Bauri1,146,3731:669
66Shaik1,117,5871:686
67Chandra1,117,4941:686
68Patra1,114,8381:688
69Jha1,112,9291:689
70Murmu1,099,5611:698
71Solanki1,081,0151:710
72Cauhan1,043,1831:735
73Shah1,039,8051:738
74Prakash1,036,8541:740
75Sinh1,025,0181:748
76Pandey1,021,3991:751
77Patal1,002,3621:765
78Munda996,6061:770
79Dutta993,8271:772
80Chaudhari973,4221:788
81Raj965,6821:794
82Pandit965,3091:795
83Jain944,1141:812
84Kamble941,0781:815
85Manjhi938,5781:817
86Rana935,5951:820
87Molla904,5911:848
88Chaudhary896,0041:856
89Makavan890,1671:862
90Jena890,0231:862
91Chakraborty881,3991:870
92Hussain869,3961:882
93Pathan859,1481:893
94Gayakwad817,1511:939
95Nisha811,7801:945
96Vasav793,6731:966
97Debnath780,2531:983
98Rai778,7701:985
99More762,3821:1,006
100Varma761,7181:1,007
101Uddin758,0671:1,012
102Karmakar747,6641:1,026
103Bag742,6491:1,033
104Jana732,7231:1,047
105Sih732,2861:1,047
106Mohammed721,5661:1,063
107Oraon714,9461:1,073
108Kadam714,7931:1,073
109Giri703,3951:1,091
110Barik701,6671:1,093
111Reddy700,2171:1,095
112Tudu696,2301:1,102
113Mi687,4981:1,116
114Husain679,7121:1,129
115Bhagat669,2121:1,146
116Islam660,9841:1,160
117Sinha656,0981:1,169
118Kanwar645,7991:1,188
119Ahmed644,6751:1,190
120De639,8211:1,199
121Sekha638,0061:1,202
122Sing632,2481:1,213
123Tiwari622,7951:1,232
124Mallik622,7111:1,232
125Swain614,5121:1,248
126Dey614,3361:1,249
127Verma611,6051:1,254
128Ti607,1401:1,263
129Jahan601,0751:1,276
130Basumatary596,1991:1,287
131Bera587,2441:1,306
132Saw586,8311:1,307
133Mali578,0041:1,327
134Paul577,5341:1,328
135Shankar573,2381:1,338
136Bhoi572,4051:1,340
137Sheik570,0761:1,346
138Dei566,1921:1,355
139Ahmad564,8401:1,358
140Mal561,1331:1,367
141Sangma560,0511:1,370
142Gogoi558,5841:1,373
143Vaghel551,1771:1,392
144Joshi550,9731:1,392
145Mohammad542,7761:1,413
146Panda542,0081:1,415
147Sahoo539,4041:1,422
148Rathav537,2561:1,428
149Bagdi536,6251:1,429
150Mukherjee530,8141:1,445
151Ta527,9671:1,453
152Banerjee519,7111:1,476
153Marak516,5761:1,485
154Vati514,2271:1,492
155Pramanik513,5271:1,494
156Sahani510,9661:1,501
157Soren506,2931:1,515
158Narayan502,9701:1,525
159Mistri502,6371:1,526
160Rao502,4491:1,527
161Manna500,0431:1,534
162Boro497,7121:1,541
163Laskar493,4691:1,554
164Kale491,1631:1,562
165Rabha487,6391:1,573
166Mohanty477,3301:1,607
167Bala475,2061:1,614
168Rahman472,1591:1,625
169Shukla468,0471:1,639
170Soni467,2461:1,642
171Koli462,9971:1,657
172Halder455,6221:1,684
173Miya455,2451:1,685
174Deshmukh451,4541:1,699
175Naskar446,5531:1,718
176Tivari446,0011:1,720
177Pathak443,9011:1,728
178Debbarma443,7671:1,729
179Mane443,5981:1,729
180Deka439,2891:1,746
181Rajak439,2811:1,746
182Nair438,9571:1,747
183Sawant437,8961:1,752
184Sen432,0741:1,775
185Babu425,9501:1,801
186Shek425,0101:1,805
187Tanti420,3121:1,825
188Cavad415,9221:1,844
189Mallick414,7341:1,850
190Maity411,0171:1,866
191Sonvane410,7501:1,867
192Shaw409,9801:1,871
193Raval407,7551:1,881
194Maiti407,5081:1,882
195Shrivastav405,6481:1,891
196Maji403,3591:1,902
197Ya401,9521:1,908
198Choudhary398,1391:1,927
199Mahanta397,4381:1,930
200Kundu396,7041:1,934