D genealogical glossary terms

---

D

D

• Roman numeral for "five-hundred."

d'

• French word for "of."

d'età di

• Italian word for "of the age of."

d'hier

• French word for "yesterday's."

d'une part

• French word for "on the one hand."

der (d.) n

• German word for "the, of the."

des (d.)

• German word for "of the."

die, German (d.)

• German word for "the."

das (d.)

• German word for "the."

dem, den (d.)

• German word for "the."

der, dem, des, die, das (d.)

• German word for "the."

defunctus sine prole (d.s.p.)

• Spanish word for "died without issue."

délután (d.u.)

• Hungarian word for "p.m. (after noon), in the afternoon."

da, Italian

• Italian word for "from, of."

da, Portuguese

• Portuguese word for "of the (feminine)."

daagliks

• Afrikaans word for "daily."

daar

• Afrikaans word for "there."

daar(heen)

• Dutch word for "there."

Dachdecker

• German word for "roofer."

dag

• Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish word for "day."

dag der begravenis

• Dutch word for "burial day."

daganat

• Hungarian word for "tumor, swelling."

dagelijks

• Dutch word for "daily."

dagen før

• Norwegian word for "the previous day."

dagkarl

• Swedish word for "day laborer."

daglaunamaður

• Icelandic word for "day laborer."

daglejer

• Danish word for "day laborer."

dagli

• Italian word for "from the (plural)."

dagloner

• Afrikaans and Dutch word for "day worker, day laborer."

' dagsarbeider

• Norwegian word for "day laborer."

dagsetja

• Icelandic word for "date."

dagteekening

• Dutch word for "document date."

dagur

• Icelandic word for "day.

Dakota Territory

• A territory created in 1861 that included all of present-day North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and northern Wyoming.

dal

• Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish word for "valley."

dal, Italian

• Italian word for"from the."

dalla

• Italian word for "from the."

dalle

• Italian word for "from the (plural)."

dallo

• Italian word for "from the."

dalur

Icelandic word for "valley."

dame

• French word for "lady."

danaro

• Italian word for "money."

Danish-Swedish War (1657-1660)

• A war in which Sweden won much of Denmark's and Norway's territory.

Danmark

• Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "Denmark."

dannekvinde

• Norwegian word for "gentlewoman."

danneman

• Swedish word for "farmer, gentleman."

dannemand

• Norwegian word for "gentleman."

dans

• French word for "in."

dansk

• Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "Danish."

daquele (a)

• Portuguese word for "of that."

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)

• An historical organization for women in which membership is based upon having an ancestor who served in the American Revolution, 1775 to 1783.

dar

• Czech word for "donation."

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Genealogical Collection (DAR collection)

• A collection of transcriptions from Bible records, cemetery records, church records, marriages, deaths, obituaries, wills, and so forth. This collection is an ongoing project of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

das (d.)

• German word for "the."

daselbst

• German word for "residing in this place."

dat, Afrikaans

• Afrikaans word for "that (to know)."

dat, Dutch

• Dutch word for "that."

data

• Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish word for "date."

Database

• A large collection of information, usually stored in a computer.

Date of immigration

• The date an immigrant enters a new country.

dateer

• Afrikaans word for "to date (document)."

dato, Danish

• Danish word for "date."

dato, Norwegian

• Norwegian word for "date (noun)."

datter

• Danish and Norwegian word for "daughter."

datterdatter

• Danish and Norwegian word for "daughter's daughter."

dattersøn

• Danish word for "daughter's son."

dattersønn

• Norwegian word for "daughter's son."

datum

• Afrikaans, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish word for "date."

Datum, German

• German word for "date."

datum, Latin

• Latin word for "date, given."

Daughters of the American Revolution

• An historical organization for women in which membership is based upon having an ancestor who served in the American Revolution, 1775 to 1783.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Genealogical Collection

• A collection of transcriptions from Bible records, cemetery records, church records, marriages, deaths, obituaries, wills, and so forth. This collection is an ongoing project of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

dauði

• Icelandic word for "death."

dauður

• Icelandic word for "dead, died."

Dawes Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes

• A commission that the United States federal government organized to exchange the lands of the Five Civilized Tribes for pieces of land allotted to individual members of the tribes. The land was in Indian Territory before it became the state of Oklahoma.

Dawes Rolls

• Records of land grants given to individual members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The government of the Five Civilized Tribes was dissolved, and the United States government granted parcels of their land to qualified native individuals.

dawniej

• Polish word for "formerly."

DC

• Roman numeral for "six-hundred."

DCC

• Roman numeral for "seven-hundred."

DCCC

• Roman numeral for "eight-hundred."

dcera

• Czech word for "daughter."

dcery

• Czech word for "daughters."

de

• Dutch word for "the."

• French word for "of, from, out."

• Hungarian word for "but."

• Latin word for "of, from, by, concerning, about."

• Portuguese word for "from, of, belonging to."

• Swedish word for "they."

de där

• Swedish word for "those."

de här

• Swedish word for "these."

de la

• French word for "of the, some."

Deanery

• An ecclesiastical division that is headed by a dean, the official who presides over a cathedral. The term deanery can also refer to the dean's residence.

Death certificate

• An official government document that records information about a person's death.

Death notice

• A public notification detailing the deceased individual’s place of birth (or origin), parents’ names, and children’s names. Death notices are a valuable source of information about people from South Africa.

Death record

• A document containing information about an individual’s death, such as the date, place, cause, and so forth.

Deaths Schedule

• The deaths schedule lists the people who died during the twelve months before 2 April of the federal census year of 1871. The records usually give the name, age, sex, province of birth, month and year of death, and cause of death.
• The deaths schedule was taken by federal census officials. You will find the records with the microfilms of the 1871 personal census schedules at the National Archives of Canada. The deaths schedule is not at the Family History Library.

debilidad

• Spanish word for "weakness, disability."

debilitas

• Latin word for "illness, weakness."

debolezza della vecchiaia

• Italian word for "weakness of old age."

decanatus

• Latin word for "deanery, section of a diocese."

decanus

• Latin word for "deacon."

Deceased Members File, Latter-day Saint

• A file of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who died between 1941 and the present.

• Deceased membership records

• Membership records of deceased members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1941 to the present.

decem

• Latin word for "ten."

december

• Danish, Swedish and Hungarian word for "December."

December, Dutch (10ber)

• Dutch word for "December."

December, Latin (10ber, Xber)

• Latin word for "December."

decembris

• Latin word for "of December."

decennale

• Italian word for "decennial."

decennio

• Italian word for "decade."

Décès

• The French word for deaths.

ecessit

• Latin word for "he/she died."

decesso, -a

• Italian word for "deceased, late."

decessus

• Latin word for "died, death."

decimo, -a

• Italian word for "tenth."

decimo, Spanish

• Spanish word for "tenth."

decimus

• Latin word for "tenth."

declaración

• Spanish word for "declaration."

declarado (a)

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "declared, stated."

Declaration of Intent (Form 2202)

• The first legal document an alien files when he or she wishes to become a citizen of the United States. Filing this form signifies that the alien intends to become a citizen and will renounce all allegiance to other governments. The Declaration of Intent is sometimes called a declaration of intention or first papers.

Declaration of intention, USA and Canada

• The first legal document an alien files when he or she wishes to become a citizen of the United States or Canada. Filing this form signifies that the alien intends to become a citizen and will renounce all allegiance to other governments. In the United States, the declaration of intention is officially called the Declaration of Intent (Form 2202) and sometimes called first papers.

declaração

• Portuguese word for "declaration."

decretum

• Latin word for "decree."

decubuit

• Latin word for "he/she died, lay down."

deden

• Dutch word for "done."

dedit

• Latin word for "he/she gave."

dedo

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "finger."

Deed

• A legal document that conveys the title to property; also a contract.

deed

• Dutch word for "did."

Deed book

• A compilation (usually handwritten copies) of deeds, patents, and other land records.

Deeds (see also Land), PERiodical Source Index

• A record type used in the Locality and Research Methodologies sections of the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) to identify articles that contain information about deeds.

deel

• Dutch word for "volume, part of."

deel, deel van

• Afrikaans word for "volume, part of."

Deen

• Dutch word for "Dane."

Deen(s)

• Afrikaans word for "Dane, Danish."

Deens

• Dutch word for "Danish."

Defendant

• An individual or institution being charged with a crime or being sued by another individual or institution.

deflorata

• Latin word for "deflowered, no longer a virgin."

defuit

• Latin word for "he/she departed, died."

Defunciones

• A Spanish word for deaths.

defunción

• Spanish word for "death."

defunctorum

• Latin word for "of the dead (people)."

defunctorum, liber

• Latin word for "register of the deceased."

defunctus est

• Latin word for "he died."

defunctus sine prole (d.s.p.)

• Spanish word for "died without issue."

defungitur

• Latin word for "he/she dies, is discharged."

defunto (a)

• Portuguese word for "deceased."

defunto, -a

• Italian word for "deceased person."

degenen

• Dutch word for "those."

degli

• Italian word for "of the."

degn

• Danish word for "parish clerk, deacon."

degno

• Italian word for "worthy."

dehors

• French word for "outside."

dei, Italian

• Italian word for "of the, from the (plural)."

dei, Latin

• Latin word for "of God."

deinde

• Latin word for "then, thereafter, next."

deja

• Swedish word for "maidservant, milkmaid."

Dekanat

• German word for "deanery."

dekanat

• Polish word for "deanery, division of a diocese."

del mese di

• Italian word for "of the month of."

del, Danish

• Danish word for "part."

del, Italian

• Italian word for "of the."

Delayed birth certificates

• A birth certificate issued some time (usually a year or longer) after a birth occurred. These certificates were frequently given to people who were born before a government began registering births. Also called delayed birth records or delayed registrations of birth.

Delayed birth record

• A birth certificate issued some time (usually a year or longer) after a birth occurred. These certificates were frequently given to people who were born before a government began registering births. Also called delayed birth certificates or delayed registrations of birth.

Delayed registration of birth

• A birth certificate issued some time (usually a year or longer) after a birth occurred. These certificates were frequently given to people who were born before a government began registering births.

dele

• Norwegian word for "to divide, to share."

dele (a)

• Portuguese word for "his, hers, its."

della

• Italian word for "of the."

delle

• Italian word for "of the (plural), some."

dello

• Italian word for "of the."

deltiseppä

• Finnish word for "tinner, tinsmith."

dem, den (d.)

• German word for "the."

dem, Danish

• Danish word for "them."

dem, Norwegian

• Norwegian word for "them, they."

demain

• French word for "tomorrow."

demeurant

• French word for "living at."

demi

• French word for "half."

demi frère

• French word for "stepbrother, half brother."

demi soeur

• French word for "stepsister, half sister."

demoiselle, French

• French word for "Miss (of well-to-do parents, may be a married woman)."

demoiselle, Swedish

• Swedish word for "Miss."

den

• Danish and Norwegian word for "the, it, that."

den där

• Swedish word for "that."

den här

• Swedish word for "this."

den, Czech

• Czech word for "day."

den, Swedish

• Swedish word for "the, it."

denarius

• Latin word for "coin, penny, money."

denaro

• Italian word for "money."

denatus

• Latin word for "deceased, dead."

denatus est

• Latin word for "he died, has died."

Denemarken

• Dutch word for "Denmark."

Denization

• The process of granting full or partial citizenship to an individual not born in that country. For example, in Great Britain a denizen can buy and own land but cannot inherit land or hold public office.

Dénombrements

• A French word for censuses. The term aveux et dénombrements refers to a specific type of land record used in Québec, Canada.

denne

• Danish and Norwegian word for "this.

Denomination

• A group of people, usually a religious group, who are known by the same name.

dente

• Portuguese word for "tooth."

dentición

• Spanish word for "teething."

dentizione

• Italian word for "teething."

dentição

• Portuguese word for "teething."

dentro

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "within."

denuncia

• Spanish word for "accusation, denunciation."

denunciatio

• Latin word for "publication of marriage banns." Factis tribus denunciationibus means "after the publication of three marriage banns (three marriage banns having been published.)."

Denver Superior Court

• A court in Colorado that has jurisdiction over appeals from the Denver County Court. The superior court shares jurisdiction over minor civil matters with the district courts.

denúncia

• Portuguese word for "accusation, complaint."

departamento

• Spanish word for "district, department."

Department

• A division of a government or other large institution.

Departmental archive, France: An archive that collects records for a department of the French government. Departmental archives have collected most French records of genealogical value, including civil registration records, pre-1792 church records, census records, some notarial records, and military conscription records. The French term for these archives is archives départementales.

Departmental archive, France

• An archive that collects records for a department of the French government. Departmental archives have collected most French records of genealogical value, including civil registration records, pre-1792 church records, census records, some notarial records, and military conscription records. The French term for these archives is archives départementales.

Departure list

• A list of the people leaving a port.

Departure record

• A record created when an individual leaves a country.

Dependent

• An individual who cannot or will not provide for his or her own support.

depois

• Portuguese word for "after."

Deposition

• The testimony of a witness, given in either oral or written form, that was not given in court but is meant to be used in court.

depuis

• French word for "since."

der, dem, des, die, das (d.)

• German word for "the."

der, Danish

• Danish word for "there, who, which."

der, German (d.)

• German word for "the, of the."

der, Norwegian

• Norwegian word for "there."

deras

• Swedish word for "their."

derde

• Afrikaans and Dutch word for "third."

derecho

• Spanish word for "law."

deres

• Danish and Norwegian word for "their."

derfor

• Danish and Norwegian word for "therefore."

Derivative citizenship, USA

*United States citizenship granted to individuals based on military service or family relationships. 

derniers sacrements

• French word for "last rights."

derrame cerebral

• Portuguese word for "stroke."

derrame, Portuguese

• Portuguese word for "seizure, stroke."

derrame, Spanish

• Spanish word for "stroke."

derselbe

• German word for "the same."

dertien

• Dutch word for "thirteen."

dertien(de)

• Afrikaans word for "thirteen(th)."

dertiende

   Dutch word for "thirteenth."

dertig

   Dutch word for "thirty."

dertig(ste)

   Afrikaans word for "thirty (thirtieth)."

dertigste

   Dutch word for "thirtieth."

des avonds ('s avonds)

   Dutch word for "in the evening."

des middags ('s middags)

   Dutch word for "in the afternoon."

des morgens ('s morgens)

   Dutch word for "in the morning."

des nachts ('s nachts)

   Dutch word for "in the night."

des, Dutch ('s)

   Dutch word for "of the."

des, French

   French word for "of the, some."

des, German (d.)

   German word for "of the."

desacuerdo

   Spanish word for "disagreement."

desavenencia

   Spanish word for "disagreement.

Descendancy chart

• A chart that lists an individual’s descendants—children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on.

Descendancy chart, Ancestral File™

• A computer screen in Ancestral File that shows a person's descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.).

descendente

   Portuguese word for "descendant."

descendiente

   Spanish word for "descendant."

desconhecido (a)

   Portuguese word for "unknown."

desconocido (a)

   Spanish word for "unknown."

descripción

   Spanish word for "description."

Descriptive roll

• A descriptive list of people who have signed up for a branch of the armed services.

Descriptive surname

• A surname based on a unique attribute of a person.

descrizione

   Italian word for "description."

descrição

   Portuguese word for "description."

desde

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "since."

desdits

   French word for "of the said (pl.)."

desember (10ber)

   Icelandic word for "December."

Desember, Afrikaans (XII, 10ber, Xber, Xbris)

   Afrikaans word for "December."

desember, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "December."

deset

   Czech word for "ten."

desobriga

   Portuguese word for "exemption from."

desponsationis

   Latin word for "engagement."

desponsatus

   Latin word for "engaged."

después

   Spanish word for "after."

desquitado (a)

   Portuguese word for "legally separated."

desquite

   Portuguese word for "legal separation."

dess

   Swedish word for "his, her, its."

desse (a)

   Portuguese word for "of that."

dessous

   French word for "lower, below."

dessus

   French word for "above."

deste (a)

   Portuguese word for "of this."

destra

   Italian word for "right (direction)."

desátek

   Czech word for "tithing."

desátého

   Czech word for "on the tenth."

desátý

   Czech word for "tenth."

det

   Danish and Norwegian word for "it, that, the."

det där

   Swedish word for "that."

det här

   Swedish word for "this."

det, Swedish

   Swedish word for "the, it."

Detroit District Manifest Records of Aliens Arriving from Foreign Contiguous Territory, Canada

• A Canadian border crossing list that lists everyone who crossed the Canadian border through Detroit, Michigan, and other Michigan ports from 1906 to 1954.

Detroit Society for Genealogical Research

   A genealogical society organized in Detroit, Michigan. 

detrás

   Spanish word for "after, behind."

detto

   Italian word for "said, alias, also know as."

deur

   Afrikaans word for "by, through."

deus

   Latin word for "God."

deutsch

   German word for "German."

Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, Germany

• A German lineage book, which is a major collection of published genealogies of middle-class German families.

Deutschland

   German word for "Germany."

deux

   French word for "two."

deuxième

   French word for "second."

devadesát

   Czech word for "ninety."

devadesátého

   Czech word for "on the ninetieth."

devadesátý

   Czech word for "ninetieth."

devant

   French word for "in front of."

devatenáct

   Czech word for "nineteen."

devatenáctého

   Czech word for "on the nineteenth."

devatenáctý

   Czech word for "nineteenth."

devenir

   French word for "to become."

devoir

   French word for "should."

devátého

   Czech word for "on the ninth."

devátý

   Czech word for "ninth."

devítistého

   Czech word for "on the nine-hundredth."

devítistý

   Czech word for "nine hundredth."

dewelke

   Dutch word for "of which, the which."

dexter

   Latin word for "right."

deyja

   Icelandic word for "die."

dez

   Portuguese word for "ten."

deze

   Dutch word for "this, these."

Dezember (10ber, 10bris, Xber, Xbris)

   German word for "December."

dezembro

   Portuguese word for "December."

dezenove

   Portuguese word for "nineteen."

dezesseis

   Portuguese word for "sixteen."

dezessete

   Portuguese word for "seventeen."

dezoito

   Portuguese word for "eighteen."

di

   Italian word for "of, about, concerning."

di anni

   Italian word for "age."

di buon'ora

   italian word for "early (a.m.)."

di ieri

   Italian word for "yesterday's."

di mattina

   Italian word for "in the morning."

di pomeriggio

   Italian word for "in the afternoon."

di sera

   Italian word for "in the evening."

di sotto

   Italian word for "below.

Diacritic

• A mark over a letter that changes the sound and sometimes the alphabetical order of a word.

diario

   Spanish word for "daily."

diarre

   Swedish word for "diarrhea."

diarrea

   Italian and Spanish word for "diarrhea."

diarree

   Afrikaans and Dutch word for "diarrhea."

diarrhe

   Icelandic word for "diarrhea."

diarréia

   Portuguese word for "diarrhea.

Diary

• An individual’s daily or frequent account of his or her life. Also called a journal.

diccionario

   Spanish word for "dictionary."

dice

   Spanish word for "December."

diciembre (dice, 10bre)

   Spanish word for "December."

dicembre

   Italian word for "December."

dichiarante

   Italian word for "informant."

dichiarare

   Italian word for "to declare."

dichiarato che

   Italian word for "declared that."

dichiarazione

   Italian word for "declaration."

dicho (a)

   Spanish word for "stated, said, mentioned."

diciannove

   Italian word for "nineteen."

diciannovesimo, -a

   Italian word for "nineteenth."

diciassette

   Italian word for "seventeen."

diciassettesimo, -a

   Italian word for "seventeenth."

diciembre (dice, 10bre)

   Spanish word for "December."

dicionário

   Portuguese word for "dictionary."

diciottesimo, -a

   Italian word for "eighteenth."

diciotto

   Italian word for "eighteen."

Dictionary

• A reference tool that lists words and their meanings and often other information about them such as pronunciation and etymology. Some dictionaries cover one language, providing a definition for each word. Other dictionaries cover two languages, providing translations of words between the two languages.

Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, Canada

• A seven-volume genealogical dictionary by Cyprien Tanguay that gives information about a large number of French-Canadian families in the Province of Québec. It contains marriage, christening, and burial information from the late 1500s to about 1800. The text is in French.

dictionnaire

   French word for "dictionary."

dictionnaire des communes

   French word for "gazetteer."

Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec, Canada

• A genealogical dictionary by René Jetté that attempts to list the entire population of Québec before 1730. The text is in French.

dictus

   Latin word for "said, stated, known as."

didymus

   Latin word for "twin."

die sequenti

   Latin word for "on the following day."

die vero

   Latin word for "this very day."

die, Afrikaans

   Afrikaans word for "the."

die, Dutch

   Dutch word for "those, that."

die, German (d.)

   German word for "the."

die, Latin

   Latin word for "on the day."

diecezja

   Polish word for "diocese."

dieci

   Italian word for "ten."

diecinueve

   Spanish word for "nineteen."

dieciocho

   Spanish word for "eighteen."

dieciseis

   Spanish word for "sixteen."

diecisiete

   Spanish word for "seventeen."

diecéze

   Czech word for "diocese."

Dielman-Hayward File, Maryland

• A collection of 250,000 obituary and marriage notices and other biographical items printed in Maryland newspapers from the late 1700s to the present. This collection is at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland.

Diener

   German word for "servant."

diens

   Afrikaans word for "duty, in service of."

diensbode (archaic)

   Afrikaans word for "courier, domestic servant."

dienskneg

   Afrikaans word for "domestic servant."

diensmeisie

   Afrikaans word for "maid."

dienst

   Dutch word for "service, employment."

Dienst

   German word for "service, employment."

Dienstag

   German word for "Tuesday."

dienstbode

   Dutch word for "servant."

Dienstmagd

   German word for "servant girl."

dienstmeisje

   Dutch word for "servant girl."

dienstsmeid

   Dutch word for "maid."

diente

   Spanish word for "tooth."

dies (diei)

   Latin word for "day."

dies dominuca

   Latin word for "Sunday."

dies Jovis

   Latin word for "Thursday."

dies Lunae

   Latin word for "Monday."

dies Martis

   Latin word for "Tuesday."

dies Mercurii

   Latin word for "Wednesday."

dies sabbatinus

   Latin word for "Saturday."

dies Saturni

   Latin word for "Saturday."

dies Solis

   Latin word for "Sunday."

dies Veneris

   Latin word for "Friday."

dieser

   German word for "this, these."

dietro

   Italian word for "behind."

dietro scritto

   Italian word for "after signed."

diez

   Spanish word for "ten."

diez y nueve

   Spanish word for "nineteen."

diez y ocho

   Spanish word for "eighteen."

diez y seis

   Spanish word for "sixteen."

diez y siete

   Spanish word for "seventeen."

diezmo

   Spanish word for "tithing."

difunto (difo.)

   Spanish word for "deceased."

difteri

   Norwegian and Swedish word for "diphtheria."

difteria

   Polish word for "diphtheria."

difterite

   Italian word for "diphtheria."

difteritis

   Danish word for "diphtheria."

difunto (difo.)

   Spanish word for "deceased."

difunto (a)

   Spanish word for "deceased."

Digest

• A compilation or collection containing the most pertinent information from several records or other sources.

digno (a)

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "worthy."

dignus

   Latin word for "worthy."

digo

   Portuguese word for "that is, I mean to say."

dij

   Hungarian word for "fee."

dikwels

   Afrikaans word for "frequently, often."

dimanche

   French word for "Sunday."

dimidium

   Latin word for "half."

din

   Norwegian word for "your."

din, dit

   Danish word for "your, yours."

dinsdag

   Dutch word for "Tuesday."

Dinsdag

   Afrikaans word for "Tuesday."

diocees

   Dutch word for "diocese."

Diocesan court, Church of England

   The highest court in a diocese of the Church of England. These courts also had superior jurisdiction over lesser courts in probate matters. Diocesan courts are also called episcopal, commissary, bishop's, exchequer, and consistory courts. 

diocese

   Portuguese word for "diocese."

Diocese, England

   An ecclesiastical division headed by a bishop, made up of many parishes within the Bishop's jurisdiction, which parishes may be in more than one county. 

Diocese, Ireland

   An ecclesiastical division headed by a bishop, made up of many parishes within the Bishop's jurisdiction, which parishes may be in more than one county. Both the Church of Ireland and the Catholic Church had dioceses, but neither the name of the diocese nor its boundaries are the same between the two churches.

diocesi

   Italian word for "diocese."

diocesis

   Latin word for "diocese."

diocèse

   French word for "diocese."

dipense

   French word for "exemption, dispensation."

Dirección General de Administración Civil, Philippines

• A government office in the Philippines that maintained vital records. The English translation of the term is Bureau of Civil Administration.

Direct emigration

• A type of emigration that occurs when a person leaves his or her country and travels directly to the destination country.

Direct index

• An index to land records that is organized by the name of the individual selling land.

Direct line

• A person's direct ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth) and descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.) Any siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so forth are not part of the direct line. Also called a pedigree line.

Director General and Council of New Netherland

• The highest court and governing body in New Netherland, which later became the state of New York. This court operated from 1638 to 1664.

Directories, FamilySearch Catalog™

• A subject heading used in the FamilySearch Catalog to categorize directories (alphabetical lists of individuals).

Directories, PERiodical Source Index

• A record type used in the Locality and Research Methodologies sections of the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) to identify articles that contain information about directories.

Directory, general

• A list of individuals and information about them, such as name, address, and telephone number. Directories usually focus on a specific group of people, such as all people living in a city or all members of an organization.

direito

   Portuguese word for "law, right, privilege."

discendente

   Italian word for "descendant."

discessit

   Latin word for "he/she died."

Disciples of Christ

• A Protestant religion formed in Kentucky in 1809 by Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone. Its full name is the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The church practices baptism by immersion, but most congregations will accept people as members if they were baptized into another church.

disenteri

   Afrikaans word for "dysentery."

disenteria

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "dysentery."

Disk

• A storage device used for computer information. The term disk generally refers to a floppy disk, but it can refer to a hard disk or compact disc.

Diskette

• A removable storage device used for computer information. Also called a floppy disk or disk.

disopra

   Italian word for "above."

dispensa

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "exemption, permission."

dispensa di matrimonio

   Italian word for "marriage license."

Dispersed

   Scattered; spread over a wide area.

disponsationis

   Latin word for "permission."

disposto

   Italian word for "disposed."

disputa

   Portuguese word for "disagreement."

disse

   Danish and Norwegian word for "these."

dissenteria

   Italian word for "dysentery."

Dissenters (religion)

   People who belong to a religious movement outside of the church or churches which a government has established or approved. Sometimes known as separatists.

disso

   Portuguese word for "of this."

disteso

   Italian word for "extended."

distretto di

   Italian word for "district of."

Distribution

• The process of dispensing property during probate.

Distribution and settlement

• A probate record that lists the beneficiaries of an estate and the property each receives.

District archive, Scotland

• An archive that collects records from a district in Scotland.

District census, District of Columbia

• A census taken of the District of Columbia during various years, beginning in 1803.

District county court, South Dakota

• A court in South Dakota with countywide jurisdiction over minor civil, criminal, and probate cases.

District court of Oklahoma

• A court in Oklahoma with jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, including probates. Each court used to serve one or more counties, but they now serve only one county. Also called county courts.

District court, Canada

• A court established in Ontario, Canada, in 1794 to handle civil cases that did not involve the titles to land. In 1850 the name of these courts changed to county courts, and they gained additional responsibilities. They continue to operate today.

District court, Maine

• A court in Maine with districtwide jurisdiction over minor civil and criminal cases. District courts existed from 1839 to 1852, when they were replaced by the supreme judicial court.

District court, Massachusetts

• A court in Massachusetts with districtwide jurisdiction. These courts began in 1822.

District court, New Jersey

• A court in New Jersey with citywide jurisdiction over minor criminal and civil cases. They were replaced by the superior courts in 1983.

District court, Ohio

• A court in Ohio with countywide jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, including chancery cases and divorce.

District court, Pennsylvania

• A court in Pennsylvania with districtwide jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. District courts existed from 1811 to 1873.

District court, USA

• A type of federal court in the United States that has the authority to try cases at a district level. A district may cover an entire state or parts of a state. Until 1866 district courts had jurisdiction over federal civil and equity cases. After 1866 they also had limited criminal jurisdiction.

District court, Virginia

• A court in Virginia with districtwide jurisdiction over noncapital criminal cases, major civil cases, and equity cases from 1788 to 1808, when they were replaced by the superior courts of law. Virginia used district courts again from 1854 to 1870, when the state transferred the authority to the circuit courts.

District of Louisiana

• A division of Louisiana created when the United States divided the Louisiana Purchase along the 33rd parallel. The District of Louisiana was the land to the north, and the Territory of Orleans included the area to the south.

District of West Augusta, Virginia

• An area created by Virginia that included parts of southwestern Pennsylvania and some land that would become part of West Virginia. In 1776 Virginia divided this land into three counties: Ohio, Monongalia, and Yohogania. Pennsylvania disputed Virginia's claim to this land. In 1780 the boundary dispute between Pennsylvania and Virginia was settled, and Pennsylvania gained the disputed land.

District, Canada

• A division of a Canadian province. In early Ontario the governments of districts—not counties—kept records. Northern Ontario is still divided into districts.

District, general

• A region within a country that is used for voting, record-keeping, and other purposes.

distrito

   Portuguese word for "district."

distrito de paz

   Portuguese word for "peace district."

dit

   Dutch word for "this."

dit(e) (ditte)

   French word for "said, also known as, aforementioned."

dito (a)

   Portuguese word for "stated, said, mentioned."

diventare

   Italian word for "become."

divers(e)

   French word for "various."

diverse

   Norwegian word for "various."

diversi

   Italian word for "miscellaneous."

Divorce

• A legal end to a marriage.

Divorce proceedings

• The legal processes required to obtain a divorce.

Divorce record

• Record documenting a legal end to a marriage.

Divorces

• The French word for divorces.

divorciado (a)

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "divorced."

divorcé(e)

• French word for "divorced."

divortium

• Latin word for "divorce."

divorziare

• Italian word for "divorce (verb)."

divorzio

• Italian word for "divorce (noun)."

dix

• French word for "ten."

dix-huit

• French word for "eighteen."

dix-huitième

   French word for "eighteenth."

dix-neuf

   French word for "nineteen."

dix-neuvième

   French word for "nineteenth."

dix-sept

   French word for "seventeen."

dix-septième

   French word for "seventeenth."

dixième

   French word for "tenth."

dizionari geografici

   Italian word for "gazetteers."

dizionario

   Italian word for "dictionary."

diák

   Hungarian word for "schoolboy."

diário

   Portuguese word for "daily, diary."

diócesis

   Spanish word for "diocese."

dla, Polish

   Polish word for "for."

dle

   Czech word for "according to."

dlouhý

   Czech word for "long."

dlugi

   Polish word for "long."

dne

   Czech word for "on the day."

dnes

   Czech word for "today."

dnia

   Polish word for "on the day."

do

• Czech word for "to, into."

• English word for "ditto or same" when found on census records

• Portuguese word for "of the (masculine)."

doageria

   Latin word for "dowager."

doação

   Portuguese word for "donation."

doba, Czech

   Czech word for "time, period."

doba, Polish

   Polish word for "time period of 24 hours."

dobra

   Polish word for "estate."

dobry

   Polish word for "good."

dobrý

   Czech word for "good."

doce

   Spanish word for "twelve."

dochter(tje)

   Dutch word for "(little) daughter."

Docket

• A list of cases heard by a court. Dockets may list the names of the plaintiff and defendant, the date the case was heard, the case file number, and all documents related to the case. Also called court calendars.

Document (noun)

• A printed record that contains information about an individual or topic.

Document (verb): To keep track of sources used in research.

Döda

   The Swedish word for deaths. 

documenti

   Italian word for "records."

documenti d'emigrazione

   Italian word for "emigration records."

documento

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "document."

documento, Italian

   Italian word for "record."

dodatek

   Polish and Czech word for "supplement, addition."

dodicesimo, -a

   Italian word for "twelfth."

dodici

   Italian word for "twelve."

dodum

   Latin word for "formerly, recently."

doen

   Dutch word for "to do."

doença

   Portuguese word for "disease."

doganiere, doganieri

   Italian word for "customs officer(s)."

dogter(tjie)

   Afrikaans word for "daughter, girl (little daughter or girl."

dois

   Portuguese word for "two."

doklad

   Czech word for "document."

dokument

   Norwegian word for "document."

dolgozó

   Hungarian word for "worker."

dolina

   Polish word for "valley."

dolní

   Czech word for "lower."

dom, Polish

   Polish word for "house." Z domu means "maiden name, from the house of."

dom, Swedish

   Swedish word for "sentence, judgment."

doma

   Czech word for "at home."

domaine

   French word for "estate."

domani

   Italian word for "tomorrow."

domare

   Swedish word for "judge."

domb,

   Hungarian word for "hill."

dombok

   Swedish word for "court record."

domenica

   Italian word for "Sunday."

Domestic court

• A court with jurisdiction over an individual's place of residence.

domestica

   Italian word for "housekeeper."

domestique

   French word for "servant girl, maid."

domi

   Latin word for "at home."

domicella

   Latin word for "young lady, servant, nun."

domicellus

   Latin word for "young nobleman, junker, servant, servant in a monestery."

domicile

   French word for "home, residence, domicile."

domiciliato

   Italian word for "residing."

domicilio

   Spanish word for "dwelling."

domicílio

   Portuguese word for "dwelling."

domina

   Latin word for "lady."

dominee

   Afrikaans and Dutch word for "minister."

domingo

   Portuguese word for "Sunday."

dominica, dies dominuca, dominicus, dies Solis, feria prima

   Latin word for "Sunday."

dominicus

   Latin word for "Sunday."

Dominion Lands Act, Canada

• A law passed by the Canadian parliament in 1872 to promote settlement and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad through the Canadian West. Under this act a homesteader paid ten dollars for 160 acres of land. To own the land, homesteaders had three years to build a home and cultivate a certain number of acres on the land.

Dominion of Canada

• A confederation created when the British Parliament passed the British North America Act in 1867. The act united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, and Ontario under a national government that was modeled after the British government. This government handled everything except foreign affairs, which Great Britain still controlled. British Columbia joined the Dominion in 1871, and Prince Edward Island joined in 1873.

dominus

   Latin word for "lord, rule, the Lord (Jesus Christ)."

domkirke

   Danish and Norwegian word for "cathedral."

dommer

   Danish word for "a judge."

dommer

   Norwegian word for "judge."

domovský list

   Czech word for "residency certificate."

domsaga

   Swedish word for "judicial district."

domus

   Latin word for "home, house, family."

Domäne

   German word for "domain."

doméstica

   Portuguese word for "domestic, maid."

don

   Spanish word for "Mr."

don (d.)

• Italian word for "respectful man's title."

donación

• Spanish word for "donation."

Donald Lines Jacobus' Index to Genealogical Periodicals

• A subject index to many major genealogical periodicals published from 1870 to 1952.

Donation Act of 1854

• A law passed by the United States Congress that granted free land to settlers. Persons claiming Spanish or Mexican land grants were not eligible.

Donation lands

• Land donated by the General Land Office to encourage settlement in Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.

Donation Tract, Ohio

• Land in southeast Ohio that Congress gave to the Ohio Company. The Ohio Company offered 100-acre parcels to legal-age men with rifles who could occupy the land immediately. The purpose of this arrangement was to create a buffer between the Native Americans and people settling on land acquired by the Ohio Company.

Donations entre vifs, Canada

• A French term referring to a practice in Québec whereby elderly parents would distribute their property to their children or unrelated persons before they died. These documents also list the conditions to be fulfilled by those receiving property.

donazione

   Italian word for "donation."

donde

   Spanish word for "where."

donderdag

   Dutch word for "Thursday."

Donderdag

   Afrikaans word for "Thursday."

donna

   Italian word for "respectful woman's title."

donna di casa

   Italian word for "housewife."

donner

   French word for "to give."

Donnerstag

   German word for "Thursday."

donné

   French word for "given."

dono

   Italian word for "donation, gift."

dono (a)

   Portuguese word for "owner, master."

dons

   French word for "donations."

dont

   French word for "of whom, of which."

donum

   Latin word for "gift."

dood gebore

   Afrikaans word for "stillborn."

dood geboren

   Dutch word for "stillborn."

dood, Afrikaans

   Afrikaans word for "dead, death."

dood, Dutch

   Dutch word for "dead."

doodgraver

   Dutch word for "sexton, grave digger."

doop

   Afrikaans and Dutch word for "baptism, christening."

doopdag

   Dutch word for "day of baptism."

doopregister

   Afrikaans and Dutch word for "baptismal register."

doopsgezinde

   Dutch word for "Mennonite, Baptist."

doopvader

   Dutch word for "godfather, baptismal sponsor."

door

   Dutch word for "through, by."

dop

   Swedish word for "baptism, christening."

dopen

   Dutch word for "to baptize."

Doper

   Afrikaans word for "Baptist."

dopis

   Czech word for "letter, correspondence."

doplängd

   Swedish word for "record of baptisms."

dopnamn

   Swedish word for "given name."

dopo

   Italian word for "after."

dopodomani

   Italian word for "day after tomorrow."

dopoledne

   Czech word for "forenoon."

doppio

   Italian word for "duplicate record."

Döpta

• The Swedish word for baptisms.

Dorf

   German word for "village."

Dorfsippenbuch, Germany

• The German word for community lineage book. These books contain the ancestry of each family in a parish. These books were compiled by German pastors or genealogists. Also called Ortssippenbuch, or village lineage book.

John Pickens Dornan's Collection Family File (Dornan collection)

   A two-part collection of alphabetically arranged family folders and handwritten family group records of Quakers and other families from South Jersey.

dorp, Afrikaans

   Afrikaans word for "town, village."

dorp, Dutch

   Dutch word for "village."

dort

   German word for "there."

dos

   Spanish word for "two."

dos (dotis)

   Latin word for "dowry."

doscientos

   Spanish word for "two hundred."

dotad

   Polish word for "until now, still."

dotter

   Swedish word ofr "daughter."

dottore

   Italian word for "doctor."

double

   French word for "duplicate record."

Double dating

• A system of writing dates that shows the year for both the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian calendar, the first day of the year was Lady's Day (25 March). In the Gregorian calendar, the first day of the year is 1 January. Countries switched to the Gregorian calendar at various times. For example, the Protestant German states switched in 1699, and England switched in 1752. Double dating developed as a way to show the overlapping dates between 1 January and 24 March. In the date 16 February 1752/53, for example, 1752 is the year under the Julian calendar, and 1753 is the year under the Gregorian calendar.

Double surname, France

• A surname that consists of two separate last names. In some areas of France, particularly in the mountainous regions of the Alps and the Pyrénées, individuals may have taken a second (double) surname. The first part of the surname is usually the family surname. The second surname may be a place, house name, or nickname. The second name is referred to as a "dit" because the word dit comes between the two parts of the surname, such as "Cantignon dit Bordedux." Cantignon is the family name. Bordedux is the second surname.

Doukhobors

• A religious group founded in the mid-1700s by Russian peasants. Doukhobors is a Russian word for spirit wrestlers. In 1886 the group adopted the name Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood. In 1939 they changed their name again to the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ. Doukhobors are pacifists who reject external authority, including the Bible and governments, and choose instead to follow direct, individual revelation. During the late 1800s the group adopted many of the moral and spiritual reform ideas expressed in Leo Tolstoy's novels. In 1899 Tolstoy persuaded the Russian government to allow the Doukhobors to emigrate. A group of American Quakers helped pay for the passage of about 7,500 Doukhobors to western Canada, where they established communal farms. They have occasionally clashed with the Canadian government by refusing to obey land, tax, and education laws. Groups of Doukhobors still exist, but their communal lifestyle has mostly died out.

douze

   French word for "twelve."

douzième

   French word for "twelfth."

dov'è

   Italian word for "where is?"

dove

   Italian word for "where".

Dove

• One of the two ships that brought Catholic and Protestant English settlers to the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in 1634. The other ship was named the Ark. The settlers founded St. Mary's City. King Charles I had originally granted the Maryland region to George Calvert, who died before the king could sign the charter. The king therefore granted the charter to Calvert's son Cecelius. Cecelius, himself a Roman Catholic, believed in religious freedom and saw to it that law and policies were established to guarantee that right in Maryland.

Dower

• A portion of or interest in a deceased husband’s lands or tenements that is given to his widow to support her and her children.

Dowry

• The money, property, or goods that a woman brings to a marriage. In some cultures the woman controls the dowry. In others, the dowry becomes the husband's property.

dowód

   Polish word for "proof."

doze

   Portuguese word for "twelve."

doña

   Spanish word for "Mrs."

Dr. W. G. Reive Collection, Canada

• A collection of cemetery transcripts for Ontario, Canada.

Draft board, USA

• A governmental board that identifies and selects men for compulsory military service.

Draft registration card

• A form filled out by a man who was required to register for a draft.

dragon, Danish

   Danish word for "a dragoon."

dragon, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "dragoon, light cavalryman."

dragon, Swedish

   Swedish word for "light cavalryman."

Lyman Copeland Draper Collection (Draper collection)

   A collection of diaries, correspondence, original documents, notes, and oral interviews collected by Draper from residents of Kentucky and Tennessee. He collected these records from the 1830s to 1891.

drei

   German word for "three."

drei Uhr

   German word for "three (o'clock)."

dreiundzwanzig

   German word for "twenty-three."

dreiundzwanzigste

   German word for "twenty-third."

dreizehn

   German word for "thirteen."

dreizehnte

   German word for "thirteenth."

dreißig

   German word for "thirty."

dreißigste

   German word for "thirtieth."

dreng

   Danish and Norwegian word for "boy."

drengebarn

   Danish and Norwegian word for "male child."

drengur

   Icelandic word for "boy."

drepe

   Norwegian word for "kill."

drie

   Afrikaans and Dutch word for "three."

drie-en-twintig

   Afrikaans word for "twenty-three."

drie-en-twintigste

   Afrikaans word for "twenty-third."

drieëntwintig

   Dutch word for "twenty-three."

drieëntwintigste

   Dutch word for "twenty-third."

dritte

   German word for "third."

drobny

   Polish word for "minor, small."

droghiere

   Italian word for "druggist, grocer."

droguiste

   French word for "druggist."

droit(e)

   French word for "right."

dronning

   Danish and Norwegian word for "queen."

drugi

   Polish word for "second."

drugiego

   Polish word for "on the second."

druhopis

   Czech word for "duplicate."

druhého

   Czech word for "on the second."

druhý

   Czech word for "second."

drukknaði

   Icelandic word for "drowned."

druknet

   Danish and Norwegian word for "drowned."

drunknad

   Swedish word for "drowned."

drupped

   Dutch word for "gout."

drzewo genealogiczne

   Polish word for "family tree."

dráp

   Icelandic word for "murder, killing."

dräng

   Swedish word for "farmhand, bachelor."

du

   French word for "of the, some."

du matin

   French word for "in the morning, a.m."

du soir

   French word for "in the evening, p.m."

duae

   Latin word for "two."

duben

   Czech word for "April."

dubna

   Czech word for "April."

Duc

• The highest ranking title in the French peerage. A duc is equivalent to the British duke.

duca

   Italian word for "duke."

ducato

   Italian word for "duchy."

Duke

• The highest title of British and French (duc) peerage, ranking immediately below a prince. In Britain most dukes are in the royal family. The duke's wife is a duchess, his oldest son is a marquess, and his younger children are lords and ladies. In continental Europe, the duke was the sovereign male ruler of a duchy. In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, a duque (duke) was also the highest of the titled nobility. In Germany, a duke (herzog) was also the highest rank of nobility.

Dunkards

• A name referring to members of the Church of the Brethren. They are also called Dunkers.

Dunkers

• A name referring to members of the Church of the Brethren. They are also called Dunkards.

Duplicate church records, Germany

• A transcript or copy of a church register. Church authorities required local priests to make these copies out of concern that the records might be destroyed in wars or fires. The German word for these copies is Kirchenbuchduplikate.

Duplicate nam

• A name of an individual submitted for temple work for whom the temple work has already been finished.

Duque

• The Spanish and Portuguese term for duke, the highest ranking title in Spanish and Portuguese nobility.

Dutch

• Something or someone from the Netherlands; also the language of the Dutch people. Many Dutch people emigrated to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Dutch Reformed Church, Netherland

• The dominant Protestant religion in the Netherlands, called Hervormde kerk in Dutch. Though it is not a state church, the Dutch royalty have traditionally been members.

Dutch Reformed Church, South Africa

• The major religion of Afrikaans-speaking whites in South Africa that traces its roots back to Dutch settlers who came to South Africa in the 1600s. The church's history is closely associated with the history of the nation. Though not the national church, many political leaders have been members. For a time, the church tried to find a theological basis for the government's policy of apartheid. In 1982 the World Alliance of Reformed Churches declared apartheid to be heretical and suspended the denominations that supported it. By 1989 these suspended denominations also condemned it as a sin.
  The term Dutch Reformed Church can also refer to other reformed churches in South Africa that accept blacks and people of mixed parentage.

Dutch Reformed Church, United State

• A reformed church that was organized in 1628 in Dutch settlements in New Netherland, which is now New York. Doctrines were based on the teachings of John Calvin and the doctrines and practices of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands. In the United States, the Dutch Reformed Church is now part of the Reformed Church in America.

Dutch West India Company

• A merchant company founded by merchants in 1621 and chartered by the Dutch government. The government gave the company the rights to all trade in the Americas and West Africa for the next 24 years. This charter was renewed in 1642 for another 25 years. The company set up the patroonship system in 1629 to speed up settlement and began offering free land to settlers who could pay for their own trip to America. It later began paying the settlers' passages. In 1625 the company helped the colonists build a fort and lay out a town on Manhattan Island, which Peter Minuit bought from the Native Americans. This settlement was called New Amsterdam.

Dwellings, FamilySearch Catalog™

• A subject heading used in the FamilySearch Catalog to categorize records about the places where people live.

Døpte

• A Norwegian and Danish word for baptisms.