Guatemala, Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records
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This is a Legacy Collection This collection is a partial index of records for this locality. The collection was originally assembled for publication in April 2010. Since that time only a few records may have been added. As no additional records will be added, or any corrections made to the data, this is considered to be a "Legacy" collection. Where significant issues with the data have been identified, a Known Issues Wiki article has been created. See the table of contents of this article to see if one is available. Many Legacy collections contain records from localities other than that which the collection is for. If available, please consult the coverage table to see what other localities may be included. As this is an index of records compiled from various sources, it is strongly recommended that you verify any information you find with original records. |
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| This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org. | |
| Guatemala | |
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| Flag of the Republic of Guatemala | |
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| Location of Guatemala | |
| Record Description | |
| Record Type: | Baptism Record |
| Collection years: | 1730-1917 |
| Language: | English |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
What is in This Collection?
This collection is an index for the years 1730 to 1917. This index is not complete for any particular place, region or time period. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
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What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
Baptism / Christening
- Name
- Gender
- Christening Date
- Christening Place
- Residence
- Birth Date
- Father's Name
- Mother's Name
Collection Content
Coverage Table
The Coverage Table shows the places and time periods of the original records in this collection. The table indicates how many records the collection has from each place. Most of the records in the collection are from the time periods listed in the table; however, the collection may have a few records from before or after the time period.
| Locality | Baptisms, 1730-1917 | Marriages, 1750-1930 | Deaths, 1760-1880 |
| Alta Verapaz | 114,519 | 18,837 | 0 |
| Baja Verapaz | 96,098 | 33,504 | 0 |
| Chimaltenango | 7,301 | 1,398 | 0 |
| Chiquimula | 4,577 | 0 | 0 |
| El Progreso | 0 | 2,208 | 0 |
| Guatemala | 114,360 | 18,504 | 20,921 |
| Huehuetenango | 11,411 | 0 | 0 |
| Jutiapa | 978 | 541 | 0 |
| Quezaltenango | 116,979 | 37,618 | 0 |
| Totals | 466,233 | 112,610 | 20,921 |
How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
- Your ancestor's given name and surname
- Identifying information such as residence
- Estimated marriage or birth year
- Family relationships
Search the Index
Search by name on the Collection Details Page.- Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
- Click Search to show possible matches
How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.
What Do I Do Next?
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
- Add any new information to your records
- Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
- Use the residence and names of the parents to locate other church and land records
- Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
- Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
- Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
- If possible, look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description
- Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
- Civil registration records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
- There may be more than one person with the same name
- You ancestor may be using a nickname or alias
- Hispanic Genealogy Research community on Facebook is a page sponsored by FamilySearch and here you may also post a question or upload an image of a document for further assistance.
- Investigación Genealógica en Guatemala is another FamilySearch research community page on Facebook where you can post questions and upload images of documents. The majority of the posts on this page are in Spanish but you are welcome to post on the page in English. Be sure to click like on the page on
Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Guatemala.
Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
| Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection. |
| Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information. |