Northern Ireland Genealogical Records

Northern Ireland Birth & Baptism Records

Ireland Civil Registration Index (1845-1958)

An index to births, marriages and deaths registered with the Irish government. Provides the child's name, date of registration, place of registration, mother's maiden name and a reference to order a certificate with further details.

Births & Baptisms in Ireland (1620-1922)

A collection of almost 4 million birth and baptisms records from civil, Catholic and Church of Ireland registers.

Catholic Birth & Baptism Registers for Ireland (1763-1912)

Digital images of registers recording the birth and baptism of Catholic families' children. They record around 550,000 births and baptisms, which can be searched by a name index.

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.

Ireland Birth & Baptism Index (1620-1881)

An index to over 5 million births and baptisms recorded in Ireland. These are predominantly from the 19th century.

Northern Ireland Marriage & Divorce Records

UK Divorce Records (1858-1911)

Digital images of documents from civil divorce cases. The cases cover both the cause of the case and the outcome, such as division of property and visitation rights. These records also contain details of illegitimate children. Cases can be searched by a name index.

Ireland Civil Registration Index (1845-1958)

An index to births, marriages and deaths registered with the Irish government. Provides the child's name, date of registration, place of registration, mother's maiden name and a reference to order a certificate with further details.

Ireland Marriages (1619-1898)

Transcripts of more than 850,000 marriage records, including parents' names when listed in the original document.

Catholic Marriage Registers for Ireland (1775-1912)

Digital images of registers recording the marriages of Catholics in Ireland. They record around 150,000 marriages, which can be searched by a name index.

Diocesan & Prerogative Marriage Licence Indexes (1623-1866)

An index to over 210,000 licenses giving permission to marry.

Northern Ireland Death & Burial Records

Ireland Civil Registration Index (1845-1958)

An index to births, marriages and deaths registered with the Irish government. Provides the child's name, date of registration, place of registration, mother's maiden name and a reference to order a certificate with further details.

Scotland & Northern Ireland Death Index (1989-2013)

This index provides death details for people in Scotland and Northern Ireland, specifically their name, gender, date of birth or age at death, date of death, and residence place at death. However, they do not include the General Register Office reference information.

Titanic Deaths at Sea (1912)

Details of crew and passengers who died aboard RMS Titanic. Information given includes date, place & cause of death; gender; age; nationality; profession; and residence.

Marriages in Walker's Hibernian Magazine (1771-1812)

An index to around 13,000 marriages of the upper class of Ireland recorded in a magazine.

Northern Ireland Coroners' Inquest Papers (1872-1920)

An index connected to digital images of documents that recorded investigations into deaths.

Northern Ireland Census & Population Lists

Censuses of Ireland (1821-1911)

An index to several million names in records delineating families and including important personal details, such as religion, occupation and place of birth.

Ireland Electoral Registers (1885-1886)

An index to and digital images of registers recording people eligible to vote. The records list name, residence, qualification to vote, ratable value of property and sometimes a description of their property.

British Phone Books (1880-1984)

Directories containing over 275,000,000 entries. As well as name, address and phone number, occupations are often recorded. A useful census substitute.

Ireland Census Search Forms (1841-1851)

Over 135,000 surviving extracts from the 1841 and 1851 censuses of Ireland.

Surviving Irish Census Extracts (1821-1851)

An index to almost half a million surviving extracts from largely lost Irish censuses. These records show families, with relations and important genealogical information.

Newspapers Covering Northern Ireland

The Daily Herald (1926)

A London newspaper that later became The Sun.

Reynolds's Newspaper (1850-1900)

Originally founded as a chartist organ, the newspaper became a liberal platform.

Farmer's Gazette & Journal of Practical Horticulture (1845-1870)

Digital images of a newspaper that circulated through Ireland, promoting agriculture, gardening, commerce and manufacturing. It is fully text searchable.

Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper (1842-1900)

A popular illustrated, liberal newspaper; one of the most popular in Britain.

Northern Whig (1832-1870)

Digital images of a liberal, unionist newspaper published in Ireland. Pages can be searched by article text.

Northern Ireland Wills & Probate Records

Northern Ireland Wills (1858-1921)

An index of wills proved in Northern Ireland's district probate registries. Images of many copy wills are viewable online.

Irish Wills Index (1272-1886)

An index to over 100,000 Irish wills.

WWI Irish Soldiers Wills (1914-1920)

Transcripts of over 9,000 wills penned by Irish privates and non-commissioned officers during World War I.

Ireland Wills and Administrations Index (1858-1920)

A name index connected to images of Ireland's civil probate registers. It lists the name of the deceased, residence, status or occupation, type of probate, date of probate and names of the executors or administrators.

Diocesan & Prerogative Probate Indexes (1595-1858)

An index to around 365,000 documents relating to the distribution of deceased person's real and personal estate.

Northern Ireland Immigration & Travel Records

Passenger Lists Leaving UK (1890-1960)

A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.

Irish Famine Immigrants (1846-1851)

A record of over 600,000 immigrants arriving in the United States; being predominantly those escaping the Irish famine. Records may contain numerous useful details, such as age or year of birth, native county and intended destination.

Migration from North America to Britain & Ireland (1858-1870)

A list of over 40,000 passengers traveling from North America to the British Isles. Details of passengers may include: occupation, nationality, gender, age, martial status, class, destination, and details of the vessel they sailed on.

Irish Immigrants to Western Canada (1826-1847)

Details of over 700 poor Irish settlers in the Newcastle district of Canada. Contains details of the land they occupy, family and live stock.

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.

Northern Ireland Military Records

British Army WWI Pension Records (1914-1920)

A variety military service, medical, award and general documents detailing WWI army soldiers who claimed a pension for disability. Contains a great deal of biographical and genealogical details, including physical description and disabilities. Digital images, searchable by a name and place index.

Attleborough In War Time (1914-1918)

A history of the town during WWI, with a list of men and women who served and notes of those who lost their lives.

WWI Commonwealth Casualty Lists (1914-1920)

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

Royal Artillery Attestations (1883-1942)

Detailed records of 858,171 Royal Artillery personnel. The records contain genealogical, biographical and military details.

Royal Tank Corps Enlistment Records (1919-1934)

Digital images, searchable by a name index, of 88,096 records detailing biographical, genealogical and service details of the men of the Royal Tank Corps.

Ireland Electoral Registers (1885-1886)

An index to and digital images of registers recording people eligible to vote. The records list name, residence, qualification to vote, ratable value of property and sometimes a description of their property.

Petty Sessions Order Books (1828-1912)

An index to millions of names occurring in minor Irish legal records. The index is linked to images of the original registers.

Ireland Poverty Relief Loans (1821-1874)

An index to and images to various records, including loan application forms. These may list name, residence, names of relatives, loan particulars and more.

Irish Prison Registers (1790-1924)

A index to over 3.5 million names occurring in Irish prison registers. Details provide vary, but may include: name, age, place of birth, abode, religion, occupation, education, physical description, next of kin and details of crimes and sentences Contains images of the original registers.

Famine Relief Commission Papers (1844-1847)

Digital images of thousands of letters and documents detailing the state of Ireland during the famine. The documents can be searched by a name index of over 10,000 people.

Northern Ireland Taxation Records

Northern Ireland Valuation Revision Books (1860-1929)

Registers describing land and buildings in Northern Ireland, including their owner, tenant and financial value.

Griffith's Valuation (1847-1864)

An assessment of property in Ireland for taxation purposes. Provides descriptions of properties.

Tithe Applotment Books (1821-1843)

Records detailing occupiers of land in pre-famine Ireland. Contains a description of lands and other details. Original images of the records can be searched by name and place.

1831 Tithe Defaulters (1831)

A list of people who refused to pay an annual tax to the Anglican church in Scotland.

Northern Ireland Land & Property Records

Landed Estates Court Rentals (1850-1885)

Records detailing tenancies of over 500,000 Irish people. In some cases details may be provided back to the 18th century.

Irish Landowners (1876)

The name and address of people who owned two or more acres of land in Ireland.

Northern Ireland Valuation Revision Books (1860-1929)

Registers describing land and buildings in Northern Ireland, including their owner, tenant and financial value.

Griffith's Valuation (1847-1864)

An assessment of property in Ireland for taxation purposes. Provides descriptions of properties.

Reports from Committees of Fictitious Votes (1837-1838)

Essentially an electoral roll, listing those who were eligible to vote, their occupation, residence and entitlement.

Northern Ireland Directories & Gazetteers

Directory of Engineering, Hardware & Metal Trades (1934)

Breif details of companies engaged in or related to the engineering, metal and motor trades industries. Organised by trade and place.

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.

Thom's Official Directory of Ireland (1910)

A directory containing all manner of facts and descriptions of public and other important institutions. Contains various lists of the nobility, gentry and other Irish citizens. Searchable by an index of over 130,000 people.

Kelly's Clergy Directory (1909)

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

Slater's Royal National Directory of Ireland (1894)

A directory listing over 345,000 people in Ireland. Also contains details of public institutions, public houses, churches etc. as well as descriptions of settlements.

Northern Ireland Cemeteries

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

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

Mausolea and Monuments (1500-Present)

Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.

Maritime Memorials (1588-1950)

Several thousand transcribed memorials remembering those connected with the nautical occupations.

Irish Records Index (1600-1874)

An index to around 100,000 various births, marriages, deaths, burials, cemeteries, wills, immigration, census extracted from Irish sources.

Northern Ireland Obituaries

iAnnounce Obituaries (2006-Present)

The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.

United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection (1882-Present)

A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.

Quakers Annual Monitor (1847-1848)

A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.

British Medical Journal (1849-Present)

A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.

Northern Ireland Histories & Books

Geograph: Photos of the UK and Ireland (2005-Present)

A growing database including millions of photographs of the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Ireland catalogued by latitude & longitude and OS grid reference.

Attleborough In War Time (1914-1918)

A history of the town during WWI, with a list of men and women who served and notes of those who lost their lives.

Lawrence's Photographs of Ireland (1870-1910)

An indexed collection of 21,000 photographs covering all of Ireland.

UK Photos (1857-2005)

A collection of 220,000 professional photos covering most towns and villages in Britain, and parts of Ireland.

A Vision of Britain (1190-Present)

A sprawling website setting out and describing the historical divisions of Britain. Also contains countless maps of various sorts. Covers the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man & has fleeting details of other localities.

Northern Ireland School & Education Records

Ireland National School Registers (1860-1920)

An index to and images of registers recording 100,000s of Irish schoolchildren. Registers may list name, year of birth, year of registration, age, religion, address, occupation of parent or guardian, name of current and previous school, parish, number of days attendance, class enrolled into, results of exams and date of leaving.

Alumni Dublinenses (1593-1846)

A register of faculty and students educated at Trinity College Dublin. Entries include the individual’s full name, date of entering the college, age of entering, father’s name and address, the degree they received and their graduation date.

Cambridge Alumni Database (1198-1910)

A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.

Registers of Queen's Colleges Ireland (1849-1858)

Registers recording students who attended a series of non-denominational schools throughout Ireland.

British Army Schoolchildren and Schoolmasters (1803-1932)

Transcripts of over 27,000 entries from admissions, apprentice, and schoolmaster ledgers of the Royal Military Asylum in Chelsea and Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin.

Northern Ireland Occupation & Business Records

British Postal Service Appointment Books (1737-1969)

This collection gives brief details on the appointment of over 1.4 million people who worked for the Post Office. Includes references to corresponding data in the Postmaster General’s minute books and is a starting point for research in the rich archive of the British Postal Museum.

Kelly's Leather Trade in Ireland (1915)

A database containing names extracted from Kelly's Directory of the Leather Trade. Contains name, occupation and residence.

Medical Directory for Ireland (1858)

A book containing details of the medical establishment in Ireland, with a list of over 2,700 medical practitioners in Ireland.

British Masters and Mates Certificates (1850-1927)

Records relating to merchant seamen of the British Isles. They may record, date and place of birth, address and details of their maritime career.

Irish Flax Growers (1796)

An index to those who were awarded spinning wheels and looms for growing flax.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Northern Ireland

Burke’s Landed Gentry of Ireland (1899)

The first edition of an exclusively Irish directory of the landed gentry printed by Burke's. This publication provides heraldic, genealogical and biographical details on Ireland's foremost untitled landowners. Searchable by an index of over 80,000 names.

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.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1885)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Irish Pedigrees, Vol. I (0-1880)

Genealogies of notable Irish families, with biographical details and notes on Irish clans and surnames.

Northern Ireland Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

Burke’s Landed Gentry of Ireland (1899)

The first edition of an exclusively Irish directory of the landed gentry printed by Burke's. This publication provides heraldic, genealogical and biographical details on Ireland's foremost untitled landowners. Searchable by an index of over 80,000 names.

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.

Irish Pedigrees, Vol. I (0-1880)

Genealogies of notable Irish families, with biographical details and notes on Irish clans and surnames.

Irish Pedigrees, Vol. II (0-1880)

Genealogies of notable Irish families, with biographical details and notes on Irish clans and surnames.

Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (1921)

A dictionary of families elevated to the peerage of Great Britain & Ireland. It includes genealogies and biographical details.

Northern Ireland Church Records

Irish Catholic Church Directories (1836-1837)

A directory listing all the members of the clergy and parishes in Ireland. Also includes details on clergy in the Empire.

Congregationalist Ministers Index (1650-1972)

Biographical details of around 32,000 Congregationalist ministers in the British Isles and further afield.

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.

Clergy List of 1897 (1897)

Brief biographical details on all Anglican clergy in Britain & the Episcopal Church in Scotland.

Clergy List 1896 (1896)

Brief biographical details on all Anglican clergy in Britain & the Episcopal Church in Scotland.

Biographical Directories Covering Northern Ireland

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1885)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Chalmers' General Biographical Dictionary (1013-1812)

Detailed biographies of thousands of notable Europeans with details on ancestry.

Dictionary of National Biography (1005-Present)

An index of names connected to over 60,000 biographies of notable British and Irish people from arguably the world's most respected biographical compendium. Gives details on ancestry, careers and personal wealth.

Kelly's Handbook of 1892 (1892)

Brief biographical notes on around 10,000 of Britain's foremost nobles, landowners and professionals.

Northern Ireland Maps

Ireland Ordnance Survey Maps (1824-1846)

Digitalised copies of detailed maps covering around 99% of the country.

Taylor & Skinner Road Map of Ireland (1777)

289 maps depicting routes through Ireland.

A Vision of Britain (1190-Present)

A sprawling website setting out and describing the historical divisions of Britain. Also contains countless maps of various sorts. Covers the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man & has fleeting details of other localities.

Speed's Maps of Britain (1612)

County and national maps covering the British Isles, extracted from John Speed's landmark work, Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain.

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.

Northern Ireland Reference Works

Building History Research Guide (1066-Present)

A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.

Surname Origins (1790-1911)

A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.

Heraldry Clipart (1189-Present)

A growing collection of heraldic and related clip art that can be used to reconstruct a families' arms. Includes packs for British, German, Austrian, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Polish, Portuguese, French, Swiss and Dutch arms. Images are available in a variety of formats including vectors.

Trade Union Ancestors (1799-Present)

A sprawling site that lists British trade unions, histories of some unions and outlines how to locate records relating to trade union ancestors.

Measuring Worth - GBP (1245-Present)

A calculator measuring the changing value of the British Pound using two price indices.

Most Common Surnames in Northern Ireland

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequency
1Campbell10,9441:169
2Wilson10,2291:180
3Kelly9,7391:189
4Johnston9,6191:192
5Brown9,4831:195
6Smyth8,7911:210
7Moore8,2421:224
8O'Neill8,0921:228
9Thompson8,0231:230
10Stewart7,5641:244
11Murphy7,3601:251
12Graham7,1251:259
13Martin7,0211:263
14Quinn6,9321:266
15Robinson6,9311:266
16Clarke6,8421:270
17Doherty6,7381:274
18Hamilton6,5051:284
19Bell6,4941:284
20Hughes6,4451:286
21Donnelly6,3851:289
22Murray6,0711:304
23McCann6,0181:307
24Smith5,9161:312
25O'Kane5,8791:314
26McLaughlin5,7341:322
27Boyd5,3071:348
28Scott5,3041:348
29Armstrong5,2481:352
30Reid5,2051:354
31Kennedy5,1511:358
32Anderson5,1081:361
33Burns4,7521:388
34McKeown4,6891:393
35Gallagher4,6481:397
36Kerr4,6451:397
37McKee4,6391:398
38Patterson4,4781:412
39Maguire4,4461:415
40Magee4,4431:415
41Allen4,4331:416
42Millar4,4251:417
43Ferguson4,3481:424
44McMullan4,3391:425
45Bradley4,3341:426
46Crawford4,2481:434
47Mullan4,2421:435
48Gibson4,1921:440
49Devlin4,1751:442
50Hanna4,1111:449
51McKenna4,0991:450
52White4,0931:451
53Cunningham4,0131:460
54Montgomery4,0021:461
55Boyle4,0011:461
56McCullough3,9421:468
57Morrison3,8961:474
58Elliott3,8931:474
59Black3,8791:476
60Taylor3,7991:486
61McDowell3,7961:486
62Hunter3,7231:496
63Walker3,7141:497
64Hall3,7111:497
65Connolly3,6561:505
66Craig3,6471:506
67Young3,6461:506
68McBride3,6441:506
69McConnell3,6201:510
70McDonald3,5331:522
71McAllister3,5101:526
72Duffy3,4331:537
73Davidson3,3771:546
74Watson3,3551:550
75Kane3,2921:560
76O'Hagan3,2801:563
77Carson3,2791:563
78Simpson3,2531:567
79Hill3,2041:576
80Henry3,1781:581
81Irwin3,1341:589
82Curran3,1071:594
83Gray3,0861:598
84Gordon3,0821:599
85Wright3,0761:600
86Beattie3,0741:600
87Mitchell3,0661:602
88McAuley3,0351:608
89Wallace3,0201:611
90McCormick3,0151:612
91Morrow2,9951:616
92Morgan2,9941:616
93Neill2,9901:617
94Woods2,9671:622
95Collins2,9541:625
96Lynch2,9271:630
97Henderson2,9201:632
98Holmes2,9011:636
99Jones2,8701:643
100Williamson2,8411:649
101Jackson2,8361:651
102Mulholland2,8131:656
103Ward2,8051:658
104McGrath2,7801:664
105Irvine2,7581:669
106Adams2,7461:672
107Keenan2,7371:674
108Walsh2,7221:678
109Cassidy2,6861:687
110Lavery2,6681:692
111Dunlop2,6531:695
112McMahon2,6401:699
113Evans2,6281:702
114Stevenson2,6261:703
115Sloan2,6141:706
116Rooney2,6121:706
117McKay2,6081:707
118Blair2,6041:709
119Donaghy2,5571:722
119Hutchinson2,5571:722
121Weir2,5181:733
122McNeill2,5141:734
123McNally2,5091:735
124Nelson2,4721:746
125Barr2,4631:749
126Rodgers2,4511:753
127Houston2,4421:756
128Foster2,4391:756
129Orr2,4371:757
130Coyle2,4251:761
131Mallon2,4131:765
132Russell2,4021:768
133McVeigh2,3981:769
134Green2,3971:770
135Hamill2,3921:771
136McClean2,3561:783
137Doyle2,3481:786
138Gillespie2,3401:788
139Dickson2,3211:795
140Brennan2,3111:798
141King2,3021:801
142Greer2,2931:805
143Magill2,2831:808
143Shaw2,2831:808
145Burke2,2591:817
146Davies2,2551:818
147Douglas2,2471:821
148Duncan2,2381:824
148Rice2,2381:824
150Fleming2,2231:830
151Porter2,1941:841
152McCartney2,1861:844
153Harris2,1751:848
154Byrne2,1671:851
155Rafferty2,1601:854
156Ross2,1381:863
157Davis2,1331:865
158FitzPatrick2,1271:867
159Higgins2,1221:869
160McCabe2,1201:870
161McGuigan2,1171:872
162Grant2,1031:877
163Browne2,1001:879
164McKinney2,0981:879
164Shields2,0981:879
166Spence2,0941:881
167Harrison2,0751:889
168McCloskey2,0661:893
169Chambers2,0521:899
170Devine2,0471:901
170Logan2,0471:901
172Marshall2,0281:910
172O'Connor2,0281:910
174O'Donnell2,0131:917
175Maxwell2,0101:918
176O'Hare2,0091:918
177Toner2,0071:919
178Gilmore1,9981:923
179Mooney1,9791:932
180Doran1,9741:935
181McClelland1,9691:937
182Brady1,9661:938
183Kearney1,9561:943
184Coulter1,9471:948
185Rea1,9421:950
186McManus1,9381:952
187Finlay1,9351:954
188Cairns1,9311:955
189McDermott1,9271:957
190Taggart1,9101:966
191Agnew1,9001:971
192O'Hara1,8881:977
193McIntyre1,8851:979
194Bailey1,8821:980
195Conway1,8621:991
196Laverty1,8611:991
196Patton1,8611:991
198Cochrane1,8511:997
199Loughran1,8501:997
199Steele1,8501:997