Virginia Genealogy

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Overview of Virginia records


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Birth Records (955)
Cemetery Records (28,487)
Census Records (3,703)
Church Records (1,718)
City Directories (1,143)
Court Records (1,090)
Death Records (1,434)
Histories and Genealogies (1,893)
Immigration Records (277)
Land Records (1,030)
Map Records (1,189)
Marriage Records (2,060)
Military Records (1,271)
Minority Records (253)
Miscellaneous Records (598)
Newspapers and Obituaries (3,369)
Probate Records (1,134)
School Records (3,011)
Tax Records (307)

By County

Accomack County (773)
Albemarle County (738)
Alleghany County (318)
Amelia County (363)
Amherst County (467)
Appomattox County (336)
Arlington County (315)
Augusta County (958)
Bath County (254)
Bedford County (914)
Bland County (262)
Botetourt County (489)
Brunswick County (693)
Buchanan County (651)
Buckingham County (424)
Campbell County (512)
Caroline County (444)
Carroll County (724)
Charles City County (201)
Charlotte County (282)
Chesterfield County (491)
City of Alexandria (595)
City of Bristol (119)
City of Buena Vista (73)
City of Charlottesville (245)
City of Chesapeake (377)
City of Colonial Heights (38)
City of Covington (57)
City of Danville (286)
City of Emporia (62)
City of Fairfax (67)
City of Falls Church (76)
City of Franklin (401)
City of Fredericksburg (364)
City of Galax (62)
City of Hampton (303)
City of Harrisonburg (179)
City of Hopewell (64)
City of Lexington (134)
City of Lynchburg (454)
City of Manassas (87)
City of Manassas Park (29)
City of Martinsville (86)
City of Newport News (338)
City of Norfolk (705)
City of Norton (56)
City of Petersburg (368)
City of Poquoson (72)
City of Portsmouth (260)
City of Radford (71)
City of Richmond (1,330)
City of Roanoke (640)
City of Salem (122)
City of Staunton (285)
City of Suffolk (375)
City of Virginia Beach (502)
City of Waynesboro (88)
City of Williamsburg (174)
City of Winchester (243)
Clarke County (245)
Craig County (225)
Culpeper County (461)
Cumberland County (272)
Dickenson County (657)
Dinwiddie County (406)
Essex County (393)
Fairfax County (686)
Fauquier County (599)
Floyd County (580)
Fluvanna County (406)
Franklin County (708)
Frederick County (482)
Giles County (294)
Gloucester County (340)
Goochland County (459)
Grayson County (603)
Greene County (270)
Greensville County (168)
Halifax County (1,037)
Hanover County (597)
Henrico County (446)
Henry County (669)
Highland County (317)
Isle of Wight County (366)
James City County (187)
King George County (330)
King William County (242)
King and Queen County (232)
Lancaster County (269)
Lee County (711)
Loudoun County (660)
Louisa County (425)
Lunenburg County (294)
Madison County (278)
Mathews County (327)
Mecklenburg County (575)
Middlesex County (285)
Montgomery County (613)
Nelson County (594)
New Kent County (248)
Northampton County (380)
Northumberland County (393)
Nottoway County (306)
Orange County (387)
Page County (613)
Patrick County (777)
Pittsylvania County (1,085)
Powhatan County (215)
Prince Edward County (312)
Prince George County (229)
Prince William County (682)
Pulaski County (406)
Rappahannock County (225)
Richmond County (171)
Roanoke County (226)
Rockbridge County (398)
Rockingham County (734)
Russell County (778)
Scott County (748)
Shenandoah County (676)
Smyth County (382)
Southampton County (413)
Spotsylvania County (463)
Stafford County (391)
Surry County (279)
Sussex County (277)
Tazewell County (745)
Warren County (232)
Washington County (685)
Westmoreland County (301)
Wise County (643)
Wythe County (462)
York County (303)

Overview of Virginia Genealogy Records

  • History: Virginia was first settled in 1607 and became a state in 1788. Virginia was part of the Confederacy during the Civil War in 1861-1865. The northwestern part of the original state became the state of West Virginia in 1863. Virginia has both counties and independent cities that are not part of a county.
  • Counties now in West Virginia: The following counties that were once part of Virginia are now in West Virginia: Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming.
  • County changes: The following counties have had changes over time: Alexandria County (not City of Alexandria) was part of the District of Columbia from 1791-1847 and then came back to Virginia as Arlington County, Elizabeth City County consolidated with the Town of Phoebus in 1952 into the City of Hampton, Nansemond County became the independent city of Nansemond in 1972, Norfolk County consolidated with the City of South Norfolk to form the independent City of Chesapeake in 1963, Princess Anne County was consolidated with the independent City of Virginia Beach in 1963, Warwick County became the independent City of Warwick in 1952 and consolidated with the City of Newport News in 1958, the City of Bedford reverted to become an incorporated town in Bedford County in 2013, the City of Clifton Forge reverted to become an incorporated town in Alleghany County in 2001, the City of Manchester consolidated with the independent city of Richmond in 1910, the City of South Boston reverted to become an incorporated town in Halifax County in 1995, and the City of South Norfolk extended boundaries to include Norfolk County and changed the name to City of Chesapeake in 1963.
  • Birth records: Birth records were kept by the government in Virginia from 1853 to 1896, and then starting again in 1912 when state registration began with complete records by 1917. Copies of birth records from 1853-1896 and 1912 to the present can be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health.
  • Marriage records: A few marriage records were kept in Virginia before 1853. In 1853 a state law required marriage records to be kept from then on. Copies of marriage records from 1853 to the present can be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health or from the clerk of the court of the county or independent city where the marriage occurred.
  • Death records: Death records were kept by the government in Virginia from 1853 to 1896, and then starting again in 1912 when state registration began with complete records by 1917. Copies of death records from 1853-1896 and 1912 to the present can be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health.
  • Divorce records: Divorce records from 1918 to the present can be obtained from the Virginia Department of Health.
  • Census records: The first federal census available for Virginia is 1790. There are federal censuses publicly available for 1790, 1800 (partial), 1810 (partial), 1820, 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 counties.
  • 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.
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