Mexico Catholic Church Baptism Records

Mexico

Church Records

Baptism Records

Online Resources

• See Mexico Church Records for more resources.

Background

For centuries, baptism (bautismo) has been a fundamental staple of religion. In earlier centuries an infant was typically baptized at birth or a few days after being born. In more modern times the gap between the birth and the baptism of an infant has broadened and may be weeks or months later. When the infant was baptized, the priest created a record of the event. Baptismal records are found among the sacramental parish books kept by the priest. These books may still be housed in the parish church or in an archive under the jurisdiction of the diocese or archdiocese. Many of these records have been microfilmed and/or digitized for viewing online.

Children were generally baptized within a few days of birth. Baptismal records usually give the following information:

Information Recorded in the Records

• infant’s place and date of baptism
• name and status of legitimacy
• parents’, godparents’, and sometimes grandparents’ names.
• You may also find the child’s birthday
  • racial distinction
  • family’s place of residence or birthplace of parents
  • If a child died within a few days of baptism, or if a child grew up and married, this information has sometimes been added as a note.

Click on the image to see a sample record with details identifying the key genealogical information found in the record along with its translation.

Strategy

• Locating Mexico Catholic Church parish records
• Catholic Church history and organization in Mexico
• Most children were baptized within a few days of birth but don’t give up after a few days as on rare occasions they might have waited several months.
• Write down the names and residences of the godparents and witnesses. These may be relatives, friends, or important members of the community whose names may lead you to other relatives.

Before searching for a baptism record, you must know:

• Your ancestor’s name
• The parish and town/city of birth or residence
• The approximate birth date
• The names of at least one parent Note: If there is more than one person in the parish with the same name as your ancestor, parents’ names will help you to determine which one is your ancestor.

Reading the Records

• Reading Spanish baptism records
• Spanish Genealogical Word List