Brevard County, Florida Genealogy

United States

Florida

Brevard County

Guide to Brevard County, Florida ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Florida Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Titusville Organized: March 14, 1844 Parent County(s): Orange Neighboring Counties Indian River • Orange • Osceola • Seminole • Volusia See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Brevard County (originally named St. Lucie) was created 14 Mar 1844 and was named for Theodore Washington Brevard, who served as Florida Comptroller from 1854 to 1860. Its county seat is Titusville. It is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Brevard County Courthouse
400 S Street
Titusville, FL 32780
Phone: 321-633-1924
Brevard County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1868, land records from 1871, divorce and court records from 1879, probate records from 1917 and military discharge records from 1919
County Health Department Superintendent has death rec from 1985 and birth records; some records prior to 1885 destroyed

Brevard County, Florida Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1930	1868	1985	1879	1871	1917	1830
*Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss

Some records prior to 1885 have been destroyed.

Boundary Changes

1844-- March 14, 1844, St. Lucie is created (later becomes Brevard County) from Mosquito County. 1845-- St. Lucie County renamed to Brevard County 6 January 1855. County seat: Titusville Florida Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Florida Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach Cocoa Indian Harbour Beach	Melbourne Palm Bay Titusville
Towns
Grant Valkaria Indialantic Malabar	Melbourne Beach Palm Shores West Melbourne
Unincorporated communities
Allenhurst Angel City Audubon Aurantia Aurora Ballard Pines Bellwood Bonaventure Canaveral Acres Canova Beach City Point Courtenay Delespine Dummit Grove East Mims Eau Gallie	Evans Pines Floridana Beach Footman Frontenac Georgiana Grant Indian River City Indianola Jay Jay La Grange Lotus Melbourne Gardens Melbourne Shores Mintons Corner Orsino Pineda	Rockwell Scottsmoor Shiloh South Cocoa Beach South Patrick South Titusville Southmere Tropic Turnbull Valkaria Viera West Eau Gallie Wiley Williams Point Wilson
Census-designated places
Cocoa West June Park Melbourne Village Merritt Island Micco	Mims Patrick Air Force Base Rockledge Port St. John Satellite Beach	Sharpes South Patrick Shores Viera East Viera West

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Brevard, Florida online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave Interment.net Florida Gravestones RecordAGrave Index USGW Tombstone Transcription Project
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Catalog WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	BillionGraves FamilySearch Places Find a Grave
See Florida Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	246	—
1870	1,216	394.3%
1880	1,478	21.5%
1890	3,401	130.1%
1900	5,158	51.7%
1910	4,717	−8.5%
1920	8,505	80.3%
1930	13,283	56.2%
1940	16,142	21.5%
1950	23,653	46.5%
1960	111,435	371.1%
1970	230,006	106.4%
1980	272,959	18.7%
1990	398,978	46.2%
2000	476,320	19.4%
2010	543,376	14.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For tips on accessing census records online, see: Florida Census.

• 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
• 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
• 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
• 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
• 1885 Florida State Population Census includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
• 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
• Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
• State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
• Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Florida denominations, view the Florida Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration

• NARA Ships Passenger Lists - These passenger lists cover:
  • 1834-1897 - Immigration of Russians to the United States
    
  • 1/12/1846-12/31/1851 - Irish Famine
    
  • 1850-1897 - Germans to the United States
    
  • 1855-1900 - Italians to the United States

Funeral Homes

• Ammen Cremation and Funeral Care in Melbourne
• Beach Funeral Home in Indian Harbour Beach
• Beckman-Williamson Funeral Homes and Crematory in Cocoa Beach
• Brevard Memorial Funeral Home and Park in Cocoa
• Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home in Melbourne
• Buggs Funeral Home in Melbourne
• Davis Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory in Melbourne
• Fountainhead Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Palm Bay
• North Brevard Funeral Home in Titusville
• Stone Funeral Home in Melbourne and Cocoa

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Florida Land and Property for additional information about early Florida land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

Local histories are available for most counties. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Florida Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
• 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
• 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
• Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps University of South Florida
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
• Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb
• Brevard County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
• 1812-1813 1812-1813 Residents of East Florida Patriots or Loyalists at Genealogy Trails - index

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 1883 Brevard County Pensioners on the Roll as of January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
• 1885-1955 Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I

• 1917-1920 Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II

• Brevard County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
• 1940-1945 Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Korean War

• Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict (distantcousin.com)
• Brevard County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)

Vietnam War

• Brevard County, FL Vietnam War Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)
• Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War distantcousin.com

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1862-1960 Florida, United States Naturalization Records, 1862-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, Inventory; index & images, coverage may vary

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Florida, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
• Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library USGenWeb

Obituaries

• USGenWeb Obituaries Project Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1784-1990 Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
• 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
• 1868-1975 Probate Docket, 1918-1944; General Index to Probate and Guardianship, 1868-1975(*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1877-1926 Probate Records, 1877-1926(*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Florida Public Records Search at Florida State Archives ($)
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Florida Taxation.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida State Archives, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

Birth

• 1880-1935 Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

• 1802-1998 Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
• 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 Florida, Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1823-Onward Florida Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1830-1957 Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1830-1993 Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1837-1974 Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1896-1901 Marriages 1896-1901 at Southeasterngenealogy.com $
• 1970-1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

• 1877-1939 Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1877-1998 Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1900-1921 Florida, Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

• 1927-1950 Florida, Divorce, 1927-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1927-2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry $
• 1970-1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voting Records

• 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)
• 1880-Onward Florida, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Brevard County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Florida Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Cocoa Florida FamilySearch Center
• Orlando Florida FamilySearch Center
• Orlando Florida Hunters Creek FamilySearch Center
• Osceola Library System - multiple locations - an affiliate library.
• West Oaks Branch Library and Genealogy Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Brevard County. For state-wide library facilities, see Florida Archives and Libraries.

Brevard County Public Libraries
Phone: 855-210-0357
Email: sm-bcls@mylibraryworld.com
Website
Facebook

Multiple locations. Among the 17 Brevard County Libraries, three (listed below) have genealogy collections available to the public.

Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library
308 Forrest Ave
Cocoa, FL 32922
Phone: 321-633-1792
Website

Melbourne Public Library
540 East Fee Ave
Melbourne, FL 32901
Phone: 321-952-4514
Website

Titusville Public Library
2121 S Hopkins Ave
Titusville, FL 32780
Phone: 321-264-5026
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Brevard County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Florida Societies.

Brevard Genealogical Society
PO Box 1123
Cocoa, FL 32923-1123
Email: bgswebmaster@flbgs.org
Website
Facebook

Brevard Heritage Council
3783 Indian River Dr
Cocoa, FL 32922
Phone: 321-537-6607
Facebook

Genealogical Society Of North Brevard, Inc.
PO Box 897
Titusville, FL 32781-0897
Email: edward_swan@bellsouth.com
Website

Genealogical Society of South Brevard
PO Box 786
Melbourne, FL 32902-0786
Email: contact@gssb.net
Website
Facebook

North Brevard Historical Society and Museum
301 South Washington Avenue
PO Box 5265
Titusville, FL 32783
Phone: 321-269-3658
Email: titusvillehistory@gmail.com
Website

South Brevard Historical Society
PO Box 1064
Melbourne, FL 32902-1064
Phone: 321-725-4115
Email:contact@southbrevardhistory.org
Website

Websites

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• FLGenWeb
• Brevard County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Brevard County, Florida Genealogy Trails
• Brevard County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• FamilySearch Catalog -The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.