Find Family Ancestry in the US Federal Census Records

Posted by Jennifer Jensen Jul 1, 2009

For genealogists, there's nothing like finding your family listed in a public record like a US Census, especially if that record contains information you didn't have before. I found out one New York ancestor had parents who were born in Ireland, and another who had two children I didn't know about--each had been born and died between censuses.

So where do new genealogists start? Which federal census year contains what information, and where can you find the census records?

US Federal Census Years Contain Different Data

Here are several articles that describe what information is in each federal census, plus tips on where you can access the census data.

• 1920 & 1930 US Federal Census
• 1900 & 1910 US Federal Census
• 1880 US Federal Census
• 1850, 1860 & 1870 US Federal Census
• Free Census Portions & Other Resources at the USGenWeb

Using the Census Data for Further Research

Where can the census data take your research? Read How to Use Genealogical Clues in US Census Data to find out what to do next. And good luck with your searching!