Online Census records
About census records
A census has been carried out in England and Wales every ten years since 1841. You'll find copies of census records up to 1911 on Genes Reunited. On census night, which was always a Sunday, census enumerators used to go from door to door recording exactly who was present in each and every dwelling.
Transcripts and original images
You can choose to view a transcript (digital version) of the record, or an image of the record itself. The transcript is useful if you are new to reading old handwriting. From 1911, householders wrote the 1911 census themselves, so you'll see your relatives' own handwriting.
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Census (England & Wales)
Other Records
Census (Scotland)
Register Office
Special Feature Records
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Tips for searching Census Records
A surname and a place is all you need to get started. An estimated year of birth helps if you're searching for a common surname.
You'll find this option just below the name boxes. As names were sometimes misspelled, or changed over time, you may not find the exact name you're looking for. Try 'Similar Matches' for alternative spellings or similar names.
If you know where your ancestors may have been living (or where they were born), you can add up to 5 place keywords. Try the name of a town or village, rather than a specific street or building.
Once you've found your ancestor and their family, make sure you find their siblings in later censuses too. It was quite common for extended family to live either in the same household or nearby. You may also find a parent or a grandparent living in the same house. And finding a wife's relatives can lead you to her maiden name – and a whole other branch of your family tree.
A person's age was worked out by subtracting the census age from the calendar year. In 1901, the census was taken on March 31, so someone recorded aged 18 might have been born anytime between 1 April 1882 and 31 March 1883. However, in 1841, they rounded ages down to the nearest five years – so someone of 39 would be recorded as 35.
Make sure you add all the information you discover to your tree. There's also a handy 'Notes' box where you can add anything else you've discovered.
