Spain

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

1. Overview: Use these resources to help with beginning Spanish research.
   
   FS—Wiki: Spain Genealogy
   FS—Wiki: Spain Quick Start Guide


2. Get an overview of Spanish family history on the Archives.com site.
   
   AR—Spanish Family History


3. Learn about medieval documents for research in Spain and Portugal.
   
   RT—Research in Spain and Portugal and Understanding the Medieval Documentation—19:27 - 2022
   
   
   


4. Record Finder: Use the Spain Record Finder to understand record types for research.
   
   FS—Wiki: Spain Record Finder


5. Resources: Learn about a variety of resources for records in Spain.
   
   LT—A Guide to Spanish Genealogy & Family History Resources


6. Learn about using Spanish notarial (legal) records in your research.
   
   FS—Notarial Records


7. Learn how to break through brick walls in your Spanish research.
   
   20 suggestions for breaking down our family walls


8. Forebears.io: Explore the Forebears.io site for research records.

Archives and Libraries

1. Archives: Get an overview of working with archive records.
   
   First visit to an archive


2. Learn about doing research in Spanish and Portuguese archives.
   
   MH Wiki—How to Research Archives in Spain and Portugal


3. Learn about additional digital and newspaper archives.
   
   Digital newspaper archives and libraries, genealogical sources


4. Explore the Archives Portal Europe site. Click the "Search in all countries" dropdown and then select Spain.
5. Books: Explore the Books We Own site for books that can be checked out or researched for you by others.
6. Search for free online books on Spain research on the FamilySearch site.

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. Old Documents: Explore the Spanish Paleography Tool site for help with reading older documents.

Names and Surnames

1. Get an introduction to surnames in Spain.
   
   How many people in Spain have my last name?
   MH Wiki—Spanish Surnames


2. Search the Geneanet site for Spanish surnames.
3. Learn about Spanish and Portuguese surnames in this video.
   
   RT—Spanish and Portuguese Surnames—59:26 - 2024
   
   
   
4. Learn about personal names you may encounter in Spanish research.
   
   FS—Personal Names, Spanish


5. Learn about the double surname system in Spanish research.
   
   The official double surname system in Spain


6. Here are some tips for researching common Spanish surnames.
   
   Tips for researching ancestors with very common surnames


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

1. FamilySearch: Learn about emigration resources in these articles.
   
   FS—Wiki: Spain Emigration and Immigration
   From Spain to America, what ships did we descend from?


2. Wikipedia: Learn about emigration history and demographics in this Wikipedia article.
   
   Wikipedia: Spanish Americans


3. Place of Origin: Use the Locating Place of Origin Wiki article.
4. 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


5. Explore the PARES Migratory Movements database.