Tennessee Genealogy

USA (1,379,301) > Tennessee (45,654)

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Overview of Tennessee records

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Overview of Tennessee Genealogy Records

• History: Tennessee was first settled in 1769 and became a state in 1796. It was a Confederate state during the Civil War from 1861-1865.
• Birth records: A few Tennessee counties recorded births starting in 1874 but most started in 1908. Statewide registration of births began in 1914 with complete records by 1927. Birth records from 1908 to 1920 can be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Birth records for 1921 and later can be obtained from the Tennessee Vital Records Office.
• Marriages: A few Tennessee counties starting recording marriages as early as 1778 and most began recording marriages by 1838. Statewide registration of marriages began in 1915. Marriage records from 1818 to 1970 can be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Marriage records for 1971 and later can be obtained from the Tennessee Vital Records Office.
• Deaths: A few Tennessee counties recorded deaths starting in 1876 but most started in 1908. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1914 with complete records by 1937. Death records from 1908 to 1970 can be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Death records from 1971 and later can be obtained from the Tennessee Vital Records Office.
• Divorces: Divorce records were usually recorded by the individual circuit courts.
• Census: The first federal census available for Tennessee is 1810. There are federal censuses publicly available for 1810 (partial), 1820 (partial), 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950.
• County records: Court, land, probate, and tax records were kept by the individual county courts.
• Other records: Many cities and towns had newspapers, records kept by churches, cemeteries, histories, school, city directories, and other records that can be located on the city pages on this site. Records specific to minority groups can be found in the Minority Records section.
• All records: Online indexes and images of many of the above records can be found by using the links on this site.