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Spain


Goal 1: Research and Records


Explorations

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Goal 1: Learn about Spain research and records.Vault



(3:54)

For the Part 2 video, see Goal 3.


Choices


AUse effective research methods for your Spanish ancestors.


Note : For Basque research, see the Basque entry in the Ethnic section of the Countries menu.


  1. Overview: Use the Spain Quick Start Guide to help you with beginning Spanish research.

    FS—Wiki: Spain Quick Start Guide

  2. Get an overview of Spanish family history on the Archives.com site.

    AR—Spanish Family History

  3. Place of Origin: Use the Locating Place of Origin Wiki article.
  4. Explore the Genealogia Hispana blog site for a variety of articles on Spanish research.
  5. Explore Your Guide to Researching Your Spanish Ancestors by Barb Snow.
  6. Books We Own: Explore the Books We Own site for books that can be checked out or researched for you by others.
  7. Old Documents: Explore the Spanish Paleography Tool site for help with reading older documents.
  8. Learn about medieval documents for research in Spain and Portugal.

    RT—Research in Spain and Portugal and Understanding the Medieval Documentation—19:27 - 2022



  9. Search for free online books on Spain research on the FamilySearch site.

Records
  1. Record Finder: Use the Spain Record Finder to understand record types for research.

    FS—Wiki: Spain Record Finder

  2. Resources: Learn about a variety of resources for records in Spain.

    LT—A Guide to Spanish Genealogy & Family History Resources

  3. Learn about using Spanish notarial (legal) records in your research.

    FS—Notarial Records

  4. Forebears.io: Explore the Forebears.io site for research records.
  5. Archives: Learn about doing research in Spanish and Portuguese archives.

    MH Wiki—How to Research Archives in Spain and Portugal

  6. Explore the Archives Portal Europe site. Click the Directories link and then select Spain.

Exercises


BImprove your skills in reading Spanish.


  1. Alphabet & Dates: Become familiar with the Spanish alphabet and words used in Spanish research.

    FS—Spanish Alphabet—5:33 - 2020
    FS—Spanish Words and Dates—2:23 - 2020

  2. Word Lists: Learn about common Spanish and Catalan words used in genealogy.

    FS—Spanish Word List
    FS—Catalan Word List

  3. Handwriting: Improve your skills in reading Spanish handwritten records.

    FS—Reading Spanish Records—2:00 - 2018

  4. Explore the BYU Spanish Script Tutorial.
  5. Names and Surnames: Search the Geneanet site for Spanish surnames.
  6. Learn about Spanish and Portuguese surnames in this video.

    RT—Spanish and Portuguese Surnames—59:26 - 2024


  7. Get an overview of Spanish surnames on the MyHeritage Wiki.

    MH Wiki—Spanish Surnames

  8. Learn about personal names you may encounter in Spanish research.

    FS—Personal Names, Spanish

  9. Explore surname distribution (a map where certain surnames are prevalent) in Spain.

Exercises

CLearn about Spanish emigration.


  1. FamilySearch: Learn about emigration resources in this FamilySearch Wiki article.

    FS—Wiki: Spain Emigration and Immigration

  2. Wikipedia: Learn about immigration history and demographics in this Wikipedia article.

    Wikipedia: Spanish Americans

  3. Databases: Learn about the PARES database, which holds records for many who emigrated from Spain to Latin America.

    PARES Migratory Movements Database - 2017
    PARES - Portal to Spain's Archives - 2015

  4. Explore the PARES Migratory Movements database.