Madagascar Genealogical Records

Madagascar Death & Burial Records

Jewish Online Worldwide Burial Registry (1550-Present)

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

Newspapers Covering Madagascar

Name Card Index to AP Stories (1905-1990)

An index to over 2.1 million people mentioned in Associated Press stories, including name, subject, location, date and a reference to the article.

AP Stories & Newsfeatures (1937-1985)

An index to and digital images of hundreds-of-thousands of world newspaper articles.

Subject Card Index to AP Stories (1937-1985)

An index to around 500,000 Associated Press articles.

Madagascar Directories & Gazetteers

CIA World Factbook (1994)

A statistic and descriptive gazetteer of nations.

World Foreign Gazetteer (1998)

Useful for locating places, this searchable gazetteer gives brief details, latitude and longitude for more than 1.5 million features, places and regions throughout the world.

Madagascar Cemeteries

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

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

Madagascar 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.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Madagascar

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.

Madagascar 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.

Madagascar 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.

Historical Description

This Isle is by the Portugal denominated St. Lawrence. It is one of the greatest in the Universe, extending in length 1000 English miles; the breadth in some places being 230 miles. The best known Bay is that of Augustine, where our Ships ride.

Natures of the People

The Inhabitants are exceeding black, and have limbs of great strength and composure. Both Sex go naked, only a linnen Cloth about their middles: they use pinking and cutting their Breasts and Faces: Gold and Silver is of no value amongst them, but the Beads of Aggats, Bracelets, Glasses, Bells, and such like, they esteem well of. They have Cattle both great, many, and good, and for a Bead or two of two pence price, you may buy Sheep and Beeves of good bigness and taste. The Sheep here have their Tails weighing 16 or 20 pound.

Riches

The Isle abounds in all good things necessary for Mans use, as Copper, Gold, Iron and Silver.

Their Towns of note are Roma Augustine, Santo Jacobo, Matatana, Angoda, and Herendo.

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

This large island, with an area of 226,000 square miles and a population of about 3,153,500, is a French possession. Gold, copper, iron, lead, and coal are found in small quantities ; the mineral wealth is probably large, but at present undeveloped. Our Imports from Madagascar are chiefly plumbago and cereals and amounted (1920) to £878,034. The Exports by the United Kingdom are insignificant, owing to the very high protective tariff of 1897 (and in 1920 amounted to £294,068). The capital, Tananarivo, has 75,000 inhabitants. The principal port is Tamatave.

The Newspaper Press Directory and Advertisers' Guide (1922)

Most Common Surnames in Madagascar

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequency
1Rakotomalala412,1041:57
2Rakotonirina385,7171:61
3Rakotoarisoa272,0201:87
4Rafanomezantsoa204,8881:115
5Rakoto192,8591:123
6Rakotoniaina190,5301:124
7Randrianasolo185,0981:128
8Razafindrakoto184,7101:128
9Raharimalala178,5011:132
10Rakotoarimanana177,7251:133
11Ranaivoson176,9491:134
12Ratsimbazafy173,0681:137
13Randrianantenaina171,5161:138
14Randrianarisoa146,2931:162
15Rakotoarison143,9651:164
16Randrianarison131,5471:180
17Andrianantenaina123,0101:192
18Rakotovao121,0701:195
19Rakotoson110,5931:214
20Rakotoarivelo108,6531:218
21Nomenjanahary107,8771:219
22Razafimandimby107,4891:220
23Raharison105,9361:223
24Ramaroson104,3841:227
25Ramanantsoa103,6081:228
26Andrianirina97,0111:244
26Razafimahatratra97,0111:244
28Randriamanantena95,0711:249
29Ramamonjisoa94,6831:250
30Raveloson91,9671:257
31Rajaonarison91,5791:258
32Rasoarimalala89,6391:264
33Randrianarivelo88,8621:266
33Randrianirina88,8621:266
35Raharinirina86,5341:273
36Rakotobe84,9821:278
37Rakotomanana83,4301:283
38Rakotondramanana81,8781:289
38Rakotondrasoa81,8781:289
40Rakotoarivony81,1021:292
40Rakotozafy81,1021:292
42Fanomezantsoa79,9371:296
43Razafimanantsoa79,1611:299
44Andriamihaja78,3851:302
44Rasoanirina78,3851:302
46Rajaonarivelo77,2211:306
47Rakotomanga76,8331:308
48Raharisoa76,0571:311
48Ratolojanahary76,0571:311
50Rabemanantsoa74,1171:319
50Raharimanana74,1171:319
52Andrianasolo73,7291:321