Merced County, California Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Merced
Organized: April 19, 1855
Parent County(s): Mariposa
Neighboring Counties
Fresno • Madera • Mariposa • San Benito • Santa Clara • Stanislaus • Tuolumne
See County Maps
Courthouse
California, Merced County Courthouse.png
Location Map
California Merced Map.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Merced County was created 19 Apr 1855[1] and was named for the Merced River, or El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy). The river was named in 1806 by an expedition, headed by Gabriel Moraga, which came upon it at the end of a hot dusty ride.[2] Its county seat is Merced. It is located in the central area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Merced County Courthouse
2260 N Street
Merced, CA 95340
Phone: 209-725-4100
Merced County Website

County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1855.
County Recorder has birth, marriage, death and burial Records [4]

Merced County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]

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[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1873 1855 1889 1855 1856 1855 1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1905. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[8]

Cities
Census-designated places


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Merced, California online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See California Cemeteries for more information

Census Records[edit | edit source]

For online censuses (state and federal) and for more information, see California Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 1,141 —
1870 2,807 146.0%
1880 5,656 101.5%
1890 8,085 42.9%
1900 9,215 14.0%
1910 15,148 64.4%
1920 24,579 62.3%
1930 36,748 49.5%
1940 46,988 27.9%
1950 69,780 48.5%
1960 90,446 29.6%
1970 104,629 15.7%
1980 134,560 28.6%
1990 178,403 32.6%
2000 210,554 18.0%
2010 255,793 21.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. Usually listed on the town level, they may contain ages, dates (baptism, christening, birth, marriage, death), maiden names, and more. See also California Church Records.

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  • Merced

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

1877-1896 Merced County, California funeral book, 1877-1896(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land and property records provide exact location of land, often reveal family relationships, and give names of witnesses and neighbors. They include deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See California Land and Property for online resources, including early land grants.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Local histories are available for Merced County. Histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see California Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Santa Clara CountyStanislaus CountyMariposa CountyMadera CountyFresno CountySan Benito CountyTuolumne CountyCA MERCED.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Civil War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Voting Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate records include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. They may give the decedent's date of death, names and residences of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, and others. For online records and more information, see California Probate Records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

California tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see California Taxation.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. The state has records since July 1905, although county records may start earlier. See California Vital Records for more information.

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Merced County. For state-wide facilities, see California Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Merced County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see California Societies.
Merced County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 3061
Merced, CA 95344
Website

Merced County Historical Society
Courthouse Museum
21st & N Streets
Merced, CA 95340
Website

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  2. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Merced County, California Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/cal/merced/#.WQtqxzEzqM8 05/04/2017.
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merced County, California" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merced_County,_California 05/04/2017.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Merced County, California. Page 85 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Merced County, California. Page 84-88 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 81-83.
  6. ↑ https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#MERCED
  7. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merced County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merced_County,_California, accessed 17 September 2019.
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