Sri Lanka Genealogical Records

Sri Lanka 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.

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.

Sri Lanka 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.

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.

Sri Lanka 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.

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.

British Nationals Overseas Deaths (1818-2005)

A name index linked to original indices of British citizens who died overseas. Records record the area in which the deceased died and their age.

Sri Lanka Census & Population Lists

Slave Registers of British Colonial Dependencies (1813-1834)

Digital images, searchable by an index of almost three million names, recording lawfully-kept slaves in British dominions. They record a slave's name, place of residence, age, gender, nationality and their owner's name.

Newspapers Covering Sri Lanka

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.

Sri Lanka 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.

Bank of England Wills Extracts Index (1717-1845)

An index to over 60,000 wills of people who died with money in public funds. Useful when researching counties where wills have been destroyed. Also contains wills for citizens of British colonies.

Sri Lanka Immigration & Travel Records

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.

Sri Lanka 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.

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.

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.

Slave Registers of British Colonial Dependencies (1813-1834)

Digital images, searchable by an index of almost three million names, recording lawfully-kept slaves in British dominions. They record a slave's name, place of residence, age, gender, nationality and their owner's name.

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.

Sri Lanka 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.

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.

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.

Sri Lanka Cemeteries

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

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

Sri Lanka 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.

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.

Calendar of State Papers Colonial (1513-1739)

Calendars to records relating to British colonies.

Sri Lanka Occupation & Business Records

Slave Registers of British Colonial Dependencies (1813-1834)

Digital images, searchable by an index of almost three million names, recording lawfully-kept slaves in British dominions. They record a slave's name, place of residence, age, gender, nationality and their owner's name.

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.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Sri Lanka

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.

Ancestry World Tree (6000 BC-1997)

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

Sri Lanka 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.

Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

Sri Lanka 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.

Most Common Surnames in Sri Lanka

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequency
1Perera965,6661:22
2Fernando583,8431:36
3de Silva335,2641:62
4Bandara254,7191:82
5Kumara225,9941:92
6Dissanayake193,3961:108
7Mohamed173,3701:120
8Gamage167,5961:124
9Liyanage161,2371:129
10Jayasinghe159,3361:131
11Ranasinghe156,4861:133
12Herath138,0671:151
13Weerasinghe136,6051:152
14Peiris129,8811:160
15Rathnayake115,3361:180
16Wickramasinghe108,6851:191
17Wijesinghe106,2001:196
18Hettiarachchi98,0871:212
19Nanayakkara87,4891:238
20Ahamed83,5421:249
21Rajapaksha79,7411:261
22Mendis79,1571:263
23Pathirana78,7911:264
24Ekanayake78,2061:266
25Gunasekara77,7681:268
26Dias75,7941:275
27Sampath75,3561:276
28Amarasinghe72,7981:286
29Ratnayake66,9501:311
30Chathuranga65,7811:316
31Senanayake61,6881:337
32Samarasinghe60,8111:342
33Lakmal60,2261:346
34Munasinghe59,0571:352
35Rodrigo58,0341:359
36Seneviratne57,8141:360
37Rathnayaka55,9141:372
38Edirisinghe54,3791:383
39Jayawardena54,2331:384
40Fonseka53,7941:387
41Sanjeewa52,7711:394
42Gunawardana52,1861:399
43Prasad51,5281:404
44Gunawardena50,8711:409
45Karunaratne50,2861:414
46Jayaweera48,7511:427
47Jayasekara48,6051:428
48Ranaweera47,5091:438
49Jayawardana45,7541:455
50Jayasuriya45,3891:458
51Madusanka45,1701:461
52Alwis45,0231:462
53Rajapakse44,8771:464
54Karunarathna44,1461:471
55Dissanayaka43,9271:474
56Jayakody43,2691:481
57Samarakoon41,5881:500
58Kariyawasam41,4421:502
59Cooray39,5421:526
60Karunarathne39,3221:529
61Kumari39,1761:531
62Abeysinghe38,6651:538
63Rupasinghe36,9841:563
64Sandaruwan36,6181:568
65Weerakoon36,3261:573
66Jayalath35,5951:585
67Gunasekera34,7911:598
68de Alwis34,1331:610
69Madushanka33,4021:623
70Jayasundara33,3291:624
71Tennakoon33,2561:626
72Vithanage32,9641:631
72Weerasekara32,9641:631
74Subasinghe32,1601:647
75Kumarasinghe31,4291:662
76Hewage31,0631:670
77Gunarathna30,1131:691
77Gunaratne30,1131:691
79Prasanna30,0401:693
80Samaraweera29,8941:696
81Athukorala29,6011:703
81Maduranga29,6011:703
83Wijeratne29,3091:710
84Wijekoon29,0901:715
85Gunathilaka28,9441:719
86Hussain28,5781:728
87Pushpakumara28,4321:732
88Priyadarshana28,3591:734
89Samaranayake28,1401:739
90Jayathilaka27,9201:745
90Lanka27,9201:745
92Siriwardana26,8971:774
93Gunathilake26,5321:784
94Dassanayake26,4591:786
95Senevirathne26,3121:791
96Pradeep25,8741:804
97Mohammed25,5821:813
98Yapa25,5081:816
99Priyankara24,9971:832
100Wijesekara24,8511:837
101Desilva24,7781:840
102Indika24,7041:842
103Attanayake24,4851:850
103Farook24,4851:850
103Ranathunga24,4851:850
106Basnayake24,2661:858
107Senaratne23,9001:871
108Withanage22,6581:918
109Abdul22,5851:921
110Madushan22,3661:930
111Nishantha21,8541:952
112Mohideen21,7811:955
113Chamara21,6351:962
113Wijerathne21,6351:962
115Sri21,5621:965
116Kannangara21,4881:968
117Siriwardena21,4151:972
118Adikari21,3421:975
119Jayarathna21,2691:978
120Kodithuwakku21,1961:982
120Nuwan21,1961:982
122Sameera20,9771:992
122Senevirathna20,9771:992
124Dilrukshi20,9041:995
125Priyantha20,6841:1,006
126Wanniarachchi20,6111:1,010
127Wijerathna20,5381:1,013
128Jayathilake20,3921:1,020
128Rajakaruna20,3921:1,020
128Udayanga20,3921:1,020
131Gunarathne20,3191:1,024
132Lakmali20,1001:1,035
132Ranatunga20,1001:1,035
134Abeykoon20,0271:1,039
135Karunanayake19,9541:1,043
136Jayasooriya19,7341:1,054
136Tharanga19,7341:1,054
138Abeywickrama19,6611:1,058
139Guruge19,5881:1,062
139Senarath19,5881:1,062
139Wijesundara19,5881:1,062
142Jayasekera19,5151:1,066
143Balasuriya19,4421:1,070
144Hassan19,3691:1,074
144Samarawickrama19,3691:1,074
146Weerakkody19,2231:1,082
147Chandrasiri19,0771:1,091
148Marasinghe18,9301:1,099
149Dilshan18,7111:1,112
150Kuruppu18,6381:1,116
150Priyadarshani18,6381:1,116
152Atapattu18,2731:1,139
152Madushani18,2731:1,139
152Wijesuriya18,2731:1,139
155Kaluarachchi18,1261:1,148
155Weerasooriya18,1261:1,148
157Wijesooriya18,0531:1,153
158Balasooriya17,9071:1,162
158Kodikara17,9071:1,162
160Roshan17,7611:1,172
160de Zoysa17,7611:1,172
162Jayaratne17,6881:1,176
163Alahakoon17,5421:1,186
164Tissera17,4691:1,191
165Amarasekara17,3951:1,196
166Darshana17,3221:1,201
166Senarathna17,3221:1,201
168Kulathunga17,2491:1,206
168Thilakarathna17,2491:1,206
170Gayan17,1761:1,211
171Rajapakshe17,1031:1,217
172Dharmasena17,0301:1,222
173Sandamali16,9571:1,227
174Raj16,8111:1,238
175Jayawickrama16,7381:1,243
176Gunawardhana16,6651:1,249
177Ekanayaka16,3721:1,271
177Suranga16,3721:1,271
179Prabath16,2261:1,282
179Suraweera16,2261:1,282
181Ismail16,1531:1,288
182Jayarathne16,0801:1,294
183Cader15,9341:1,306
183de Mel15,9341:1,306
185Chandrasekara15,8611:1,312
185Senarathne15,8611:1,312
187Ranawaka15,7871:1,318
188Chaminda15,7141:1,324
188Nissanka15,7141:1,324
190Thilakarathne15,5681:1,337
191Hameed15,4221:1,349
192Anuradha15,3491:1,356
193Bandaranayake15,2761:1,362