Name of spouse
You can often find the name of an individual's spouse on any of the documents listed below. If you have the minimum information required to find one of these documents, select the name of that document. The items in the list are ordered from most to least important. If you do not have the minimum information required, select one of the "Finding the minimum information" links at the bottom of this page.
Make sure to check photo albums, scrapbooks, diaries, and family Bibles at home. See the topic Finding information at home for more information. Also check for local histories. See the topic Finding previous research.
Try looking at gravestones and cemetery records for the children and the spouse whose name you know. They are likely places to find information about an individual's spouse. For help locating cemeteries and cemetery records, see the topic Locating cemeteries and cemetery records.
Finding a spouse's name with vital records
An individual's marriage certificate is the best place to look for a spouse's name, because it is a primary source for that information. Marriage certificates are available from either the county or the state where the marriage took place, depending on the year of the marriage. If a marriage certificate is not available, you may want to check for marriage intentions, marriage bonds, marriage licenses, marriage applications, marriage contracts or settlements, and marriage returns. If they exist, these records should also be available from the county or state where the marriage took place. In addition, you can find an individual's spouse's name on divorce certificates. These are also available from either the county or the state where the marriage took place. To get the address where you must write to obtain any of these vital records, see the topic Resources by state.
When looking for marriage records, many people use computerized marriage records indexes to help them find the record that they need. Some libraries have computerized marriage records indexes.
Finding the minimum amount of information for vital records
To find a spouse's name on a marriage or divorce record, you must at least know the full name of the groom and/or the full maiden name of the bride for a marriage certificate, or the full married name of one of the spouses for a divorce record. You must also know the approximate year of the event, and the state or county where the event took place.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records, you're not completely out of luck. Indexes to vital records have been made for some states and counties. These indexes provide you with the information you need to access the original record. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
If you are unable to locate a marriage or divorce record for the couple, try looking for birth, death, and marriage certificates for their children. These documents often list both parents' names.
Finding a spouse's name with church records
You can usually find an individual's spouse's name with church marriage records. The baptism and christening records for their children may also have both parents' names on them.
The books listed below can help you locate your ancestors' church records by telling you who currently has the records belonging to your ancestors' church. You can find these books in a public or genealogical library. Depending on the book that you use, you can look up either the name of your ancestors' church or the name of the clergyman and find out who currently has the records belonging to your ancestors' church. Of course, if you live close to your ancestors' church, you should go directly to the church and ask the staff for assistance in locating the records that you need.
- The Handbook of American Denominations, by Frank Mead
- The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches and Reformed Churches , edited by the National Council of Churches
- List of Historical Records Survey Publications , by the Works Projects Administration
- State Historical Records Surveys , by the Works Projects Administration
Once you locate the records that belong to your ancestors' church, the current custodian of the records should be able to direct you in your search for the marriage record that you need.
Another good place to look for both American and foreign church records is among the microfilm records at the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their church records are organized first by state, then county, and then town. Unless the town that you are searching for had very few churches, knowing a denomination will make your search easier.
Finding the minimum information for church records
To find an individual's spouse's name in church marriage records, you must at least know the individual's name, and the name of the church where the ceremony was performed or the clergyman's name that appears on the certificate.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you can find out the denomination of your ancestor's religion, you can try contacting all of the churches of that denomination in the area where you believe your ancestor lived. If they have records from the corresponding time period, they should be able to tell you whether or not your ancestor was a church member. If their records do not go back far enough, they may be able to tell you if any other churches of that denomination existed in the area at the time and where their records may be.
If you are unable to locate marriage records for the couple, try finding christening or baptism records for their children. These records often list both of the parents' names.
Try looking at obituaries for the children and the spouse whose name you know, as well as gravestones and cemetery records. They are likely places to find information about an individual's spouse. For help locating cemeteries and cemetery records, see the topic Locating cemeteries and cemetery records.
Finding a spouse's name with census records
Beginning in 1850, the census recorded the age of each individual in the family at their last birthday. To find out if your ancestor appears in an 1850 or later census, it's easiest to search databases online. Ancestry's census collections have both digitized and scanned copies of every US Census. Even if you don't find the exact name that you need in the index, it is worth it to start looking at all records for families with that surname in the state, as long as the surname isn't too common. For example, if you are looking for Roberto Zubilaga, but only find John Zubilaga and Gianni Zubilaga in the index, look at those records. Using this method, you may come across the family that you are looking for.
At many libraries you can find bound or digital indexes for pre-1880 censuses. Indexes are organized by state and list individuals in alphabetical order by surname, so you don't need to know the county. Different indexes contain different information that will help you find the census record. Some just give you the county that the person lived in; others tell you more. You can find bound indexes at the National Archives and the National Archives regional centers , the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branch Family History Centers , and many other libraries. Different locations have different indexes, so check more than one library if you don't find the index that you need. In addition, Soundex indexes are available, with some exceptions, for the years 1880 to 1920. For information about Soundex, see the topic Soundex: what it is and how to use it.
Once you locate your ancestor's name in an index, you will want to look at microfilm copies of the original census records. The original records will help you find the information you need and verify that you have found your ancestor, and not just someone with the same name. Pre-1940 census records are available at the National Archives and National Archives regional centers. Also check with your local public and genealogy libraries, because they may have census records or be part of an interlibrary loan system. In addition, your local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may either have census records or be able to get copies of them for you.
Access to post-1940 census records is restricted to immediate relatives and descendants. If the individual whose records you are searching for is still living, you must have their written permission to obtain a copy of the record. If the individual is deceased, you must have a certified death certificate. Write to: Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47131. They will send you a form that you must fill out and return with a fee.
You may also want to check the information contained in state and local censuses. Not all states and localities took their own censuses and the contents vary from state to state. However, sometimes the information is quite valuable. Ancestry has a selection of state census records online , and you can also contact libraries, state archives, and genealogy societies in the area where your ancestors lived. They should be able to tell you if any exist and where you might find them. The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is another possible source.
Finding the minimum information for census records
To find an individual's spouse's name in census records, you must at least know the individual's name, the state, and the county in which the individual lived when the census was taken. If you are using census records for 1870 or earlier, you can probably use an index that only requires the state and surname.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding a spouse's name with Bible records
Family Bibles often include the names of family members' spouses. Make sure that you have asked your family members whether or not they are aware of any old Bibles that are still in the family. When you find information in actual Bibles, check the publication date of the Bible. If the Bible was printed, for example, in 1871, but a marriage is recorded for 1851, you know that the information about that particular marriage was not written down at the time of the marriage, but was written down several years later. Information recorded after the fact is less likely to be accurate.
When you cannot find family Bibles among your own family members, check with genealogical societies in the area where the family lived. They may have or be aware of the location of local Bible records. When you are searching for Bible records, be sure to look under both the maiden name and married name.
Next, search through the transcribed Bible records belonging to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). These transcribed Bible records are available at the DAR library in Washington, D.C., local DAR chapters, and on microfilm through the Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. See the topic Libraries with a National Focus, Including LDS for information about these two libraries.
Finding the minimum information for Bible records
To find an individual's spouse's name in Bible records that are no longer in the family's possession, you must at least know the individual's full married name or maiden name, as well as the state and county in which the individual lived.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Try looking at obituaries for the children and the spouse whose name you know, as well as gravestones and cemetery records. They are likely places to find information about an individual's spouse. For help locating cemeteries and cemetery records, see the topic Locating cemeteries and cemetery records.
Finding a spouse's name with military records
Veteran's Benefit Records may show an individual's spouse's name. To get the address where you must write to obtain a military record, go to the topic Researching through military records, and see the category "Veterans' Records."
Finding the minimum information for military records
To find an individual's spouse's name in a military pension record, you must at least know the veteran's name, the branch of service, such as Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, the state from which the veteran entered the service, and the war in which the veteran served. If the period of service was after 1916, you must also know entry and release dates, military ID number, Social Security number, whether an officer or enlisted, and date of birth.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you aren't sure of the military branch or of the approximate time when the veteran served, look for military memorabilia an photos taken in uniform. These items can give you the information you need.
If the individual was a veteran who served and was killed in the Korean or Vietnam War, you may be able to find helpful information through the death records in the Military Index on the FamilySearch computer at your local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Family History Library has all other wars indexed on microfiche. You only need to know the war and the veteran's name. Although you may not find the spouse's name, you may get clues to places to look for other marriage records. Local community and genealogy libraries may also have war indexes. Contact individual libraries for their holdings.
Finding a spouse's name with probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. Probate records often list an individual's spouse and children. You can usually find probate records in the county where the person lived at the time of their death.
To get a copy of an individual's probate packet or probate estate papers, contact the county clerk, town clerk, or probate clerk where the individual lived at the time of death. For county courthouse phone numbers and addresses, see our Resources by county . The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has a large collection of probate records on microfilm, both from the United States and from foreign countries.
For more information about court records, see the topic Court records.
Finding the minimum information for probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. To find an individual's spouse's name in probate records, you must at least know the individual's full name at time of death, the approximate date of death, and the county or town in which the individual lived at the time of death.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Probate record indexes and abstracts have been created in many counties. These indexes can provide you with the information you need to access the record, even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
If you are unable to locate probate records for the individual, try locating probate records for the individual's parents. Probate records sometimes list all the names of an individual's children, as well as the names of each child's spouse. Probate records for unmarried relatives such as aunts and uncles also may be helpful -- they often left things to their nieces and nephews.
Finding a spouse's name with newspapers
Obituaries and wedding and engagement announcements should include an individual's spouse's name. You can usually find a spouse's name in their children's birth announcements, too.
The directories listed below will help you find the current owners of old newspapers from the time and place when the obituary or wedding or engagement announcement was published. If the individual spoke a foreign language, check to see if there was a newspaper in that language, too. Once you have located the current owners, you can request to search the appropriate copies. The current owners should be able to direct you in your search.
- Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals, available at most community libraries.
- Winifred Gregory's American Newspaper, available at community and genealogical libraries
The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) microfiche. The OCLC has a database of the U.S. Newspaper Program National Union List. You can access the OCLC at most university libraries and some community libraries.
Finding the minimum information for newspapers
To find an individual's spouse's name in a birth, engagement, or wedding announcement, or in an obituary, you must at least know the approximate date of the event, the names of either of the individuals involved, and the state and city or town where the event took place (or where the announcement or obituary was likely to have been published).
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
If you are unable to locate an obituary for the individual, try locating obituaries for the individual's parents. Obituaries usually list all the names of an individual's surviving children, and the surviving children's spouses may be listed as well.