Kerala Genealogical Records

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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 Kerala

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.

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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.

Kerala Cemeteries

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

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

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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 Kerala

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.

Kerala 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.

Kerala 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 Kerala

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

Kerala 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.

Kerala Reference Works

FIBIS Wiki (1600-Present)

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

Most Common Surnames in Kerala

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequencyPercent of ParentRank in India
1Kumar409,8251:151.32%3
2Nair300,3861:2068.43%182
3Amma140,8931:4396.88%470
4Thomas136,8391:4478.18%405
5Pillai122,1311:4968.78%399
6Joseph121,8141:4976.13%431
7Beevi118,8101:5198.90%565
8Mathew111,0471:5481.06%498
9George89,8171:6779.01%597
10Kumari88,9721:671.34%8
11Varghese87,9201:6880.88%616
12Babu84,6231:7119.87%185
13Kutty75,9351:7993.34%792
14John71,1851:8470.11%649
15Jose71,0741:8487.58%796
16Raj58,0141:1036.01%81
17Krishnan56,5121:10659.35%686
18Mol51,5931:11696.49%1,177
19Mohan42,8771:14013.49%249
20Rahman39,0111:1548.26%168
21Abraham38,2611:15775.01%1,229
22Ali36,7861:1630.72%13
23Chandran36,3991:16570.09%1,214
24Jacob34,3881:17578.09%1,381
25Antony34,2701:17582.96%1,454
26Rajan30,6911:19637.78%794
27Joy28,9631:20780.19%1,641
28Paul28,6851:2094.97%134
29Das27,9591:2150.25%4
30Sebastian25,8131:23286.25%1,930
31Salam25,4221:23623.45%617
32Hameed23,2491:25863.18%1,608
33Devi23,2141:2590.03%1
34Chacko22,6901:26484.55%2,126
35Mon22,6801:26591.15%2,263
36Baby22,4341:26876.12%1,966
37Rasheed22,0451:27264.36%1,727
38Basheer21,6541:27782.82%2,178
39Vijayan21,3001:28279.19%2,121
40Kunju19,7961:30396.64%2,670
41Prasad18,6081:3230.47%20
42James18,4621:32565.07%2,026
43Menon17,9501:33435.55%1,239
44Raju17,7521:3387.77%319
45Rahiman17,6021:34182.60%2,573
46Kurian17,2571:34883.40%2,646
47Philip16,9831:35372.85%2,395
48Latheef16,9121:35596.16%3,048
49Majeed16,7301:35946.66%1,655
50Francis16,3241:36856.88%2,003
51Nayar15,2981:39234.63%1,379
52Shafi15,2801:39323.25%959
53Lal14,9631:4010.26%9
54Nasar13,9871:42974.79%2,875
55Musthafa13,8991:43293.41%3,541
56Krishna13,3901:44810.55%532
57Gafoor12,8801:46678.83%3,251
58Khadar12,5141:48073.29%3,136
59Prakash12,4081:4841.20%74
60Pilla12,3151:48725.84%1,297
61Haji11,6711:51459.77%2,764
62Azeez11,6001:51784.48%3,831
63Suresh11,5091:52116.49%910
64Mohanan11,5061:52289.20%4,061
65Mohammed11,3551:5291.57%106
66Kareem11,1591:53861.97%2,976
67Koya11,0591:54348.67%2,452
68Jaleel10,8601:55377.79%3,764
69Rafi10,7001:56124.27%1,380
70Hussain10,6671:5631.23%92
71Shaji10,6341:56486.54%4,264
72Johnson10,5501:56961.62%3,128
73Ashraf10,4591:57422.14%1,309
74Narayanan10,4561:57436.73%2,022
75Khan10,4411:5750.23%17
76Pi9,8281:61115.50%988
77Salim9,8221:6118.46%582
78Xavier9,7921:61363.49%3,424
79Wai9,7031:61811.56%757
80Soman9,6271:62353.87%3,001
81Aseez9,5221:63099.99%5,428
82Mary9,3181:64444.73%2,629
83Cherian9,1261:65872.52%4,152
84Muhammed9,1071:65987.49%5,002
85Haneefa8,8841:67589.96%5,267
86Alex8,8121:68174.80%4,436
87Peter8,8041:68251.55%3,135
88Em8,6751:69256.16%3,416
89Sunny8,6081:69768.25%4,147
90Kuriakose8,5941:69886.98%5,264
91Raveendran8,5051:70688.13%5,365
92Samuel8,4691:70943.21%2,757
93Samad8,4221:71310.58%816
94Ke8,2491:72766.52%4,219
95Beegam7,9281:75795.80%6,144
96Augustine7,8761:76275.25%4,975
97Mathai7,8571:76476.42%5,060
98Suhara7,8391:76699.45%6,412
99Vi7,7501:77411.21%921
100Achari7,6791:78127.27%2,042
101Rani7,5501:7950.38%41
102Ammal7,5401:79668.86%4,755
103Koshy7,5281:79775.54%5,213
104Sasi7,5241:79877.60%5,345
105Shareef7,4531:80528.45%2,174
106Thankachan7,4151:80990.84%6,204
107Surendran7,4061:81077.82%5,431
108Rahim6,9791:86012.11%1,095
109Sankar6,8601:87521.33%1,805
110Kabeer6,7191:89389.12%6,682
111Gopi6,7171:89329.01%2,411
112Panicker6,7151:89468.67%5,302
113Nampyar6,6851:898100.00%7,474
114Roy6,5471:9170.34%46
115Saleem6,4551:93016.69%1,540
116Umma6,4201:93592.06%7,179
117Banu6,3571:9443.26%373
118Nath6,3221:9490.52%63
119Jabbar6,1941:96917.34%1,661
120Nambiar6,1881:97049.17%4,152
121Kunhi6,1621:97496.69%7,792
122Shereef6,1381:97898.26%7,932
123Johny6,0991:98474.09%6,171
124Kutti6,0781:98750.75%4,361
125Ravi6,0161:9986.69%718
126Asharaf5,9261:1,01333.25%3,005
126Muneer5,9261:1,01369.72%5,999
128Namboothiri5,8281:1,03096.94%8,201
129Murali5,7301:1,04727.93%2,667
130Balakrishnan5,7181:1,05040.52%3,726
131Khader5,6891:1,05559.78%5,434
132Riyas5,6421:1,06492.26%8,077
133Anand5,6351:1,0653.76%459
134Davis5,6291:1,06676.44%6,831
135Mani5,6241:1,0674.23%509
136Es5,6181:1,06844.30%4,123
137Kunji5,5791:1,07690.11%7,991
138Daniel5,5561:1,08043.26%4,078
139Sabu5,5351:1,08452.80%4,970
140Sam5,5291:1,08533.96%3,264
141Balan5,4841:1,09448.01%4,566
142Ramachandran5,4811:1,09534.12%3,300
143Karim5,4051:1,1108.76%1,015
144Gopal5,4021:1,1112.87%384
145Lakshmi5,2851:1,1361.80%261
146Rafeeq5,2551:1,14256.74%5,565
147Mathews5,1861:1,15758.93%5,810
148Sasidharan5,1751:1,16076.07%7,342
149Wilson5,0741:1,18357.45%5,790
150Scaria5,0721:1,18390.57%8,750
151Vincent5,0591:1,18667.53%6,715
152Aslam4,9941:1,2026.85%876
153Dev4,9931:1,2021.83%282
154Ahammed4,9681:1,20836.58%3,870
155Rashid4,9471:1,2134.01%550
156Kurup4,8981:1,22546.54%4,949
157Ar4,8941:1,22646.45%4,942
158Thampi4,8811:1,22985.20%8,565
159Nadar4,8611:1,2358.94%1,158
160Nazar4,8231:1,24469.10%7,173
161Simon4,7811:1,25563.46%6,684
162Bai4,7551:1,2620.09%10
163Beegum4,7331:1,26859.80%6,386
164Asari4,7191:1,27215.65%1,917
165Sukumaran4,7061:1,27566.61%7,089
166Faisal4,6351:1,29526.18%3,023
167Thangal4,6271:1,29777.22%8,235
168David4,4791:1,34027.39%3,247
169Radhakrishnan4,4521:1,34839.01%4,574
170Muhammad4,3831:1,3697.39%1,064
171Santhosh4,3201:1,38930.14%3,667
172Asees4,3011:1,39599.45%10,873
173Benny4,2951:1,39782.37%9,323
174Manaf4,2761:1,40380.01%9,132
175Cheriyan4,2751:1,40476.71%8,792
176Gopinath4,2731:1,40452.71%6,242
177Razak4,2161:1,42341.23%5,080
178Varkey4,2011:1,42883.24%9,590
179Iqbal4,1511:1,4465.48%851
180Nampoothiri4,1401:1,45098.10%11,098
181Chettiyar4,1361:1,45163.26%7,632
182Sathar4,1351:1,45172.77%8,626
183Bhatt4,1241:1,4553.18%523
184Venugopal4,1131:1,45931.76%4,050
185Rajendran4,1051:1,46225.00%3,237
186Bi4,0921:1,4671.21%231
187Priya4,0481:1,4826.18%964
188Issac4,0201:1,49379.94%9,608
189Tom4,0161:1,49481.89%9,787
190Saji3,9691:1,51256.65%7,147
191Biju3,9331:1,52667.38%8,433
192Akbar3,9121:1,53410.62%1,604
193Ibrahim3,9071:1,5369.95%1,519
194Jayan3,9051:1,53765.84%8,306
195Raghavan3,8601:1,55530.75%4,163
196Varughese3,8531:1,55881.89%10,140
197Oommen3,7861:1,58579.40%10,033
198Si3,7851:1,5869.40%1,487
199Thankappan3,7421:1,60487.12%10,939
200Unnikrishnan3,7331:1,60870.70%9,216