Puerto Rican Surnamespuerto Rican Genealogy

1. Puerto Rican Surnamespuerto Rican Genealogy Records
2. Puerto Rican Surnamespuerto Rican Genealogy Ancestry

If you have a curiosity about Puerto Rico, its history, and/or your family history, or perhaps you have hit a brick wall, have no time to research, or simply need help finding an elusive ancestor simply ask us for help. We invite you to become a part of our growing community of researchers. (View samples of documents in our holdings). Genealogy Research Surnames Ancestry Records Puerto Rican DNA Nicknames explained About Who's Who Historical Resources Blog Puerto Rican Migration Language& Culture of Spain Old World Names Pueblos Tales from the States Hometown Cuentos.

1. Puerto Rican Nicknames. Puerto Ricans commonly go by nicknames, making family history research more difficult because the given name on a birth certificate may not be well known. If you’re having trouble locating an ancestor on your family tree, learning more about Puerto Rican nicknames might help.
2. Civil registration in Puerto Rico began in 1885. Prior to that, registrations of vital events were kept by the Catholic Church, which was the predominant religion. This collection includes registrations of births, marriages, and deaths in Puerto Rico, which at the start of civil registration was a colony of Spain and after the Spanish-American.
3. Puerto Rico genealogy with a goal to orienting others with their own search of their Puerto Rican ancestry. Names of inteterest to the writer: Morales-Diaz, Vivas-Monge, Lebron-Rodriguez, Rodriguez-Santiago.

Births in Puerto Rico often occurred at home. A parent or other relative would have to register the birth at a municipal office, and this is where we get the 'Acta de nacimiento', or birth register. Below is a glossary of the terms and phrases shown in these documents:

The beginning of the birth register should indicate in what municipality/town the birth was registered. Depending on where your ancestor was born, their birth record might show a different municipality than their adult home address.

The text of the birth register document reads as follows:

Register of Birth

In the [name of municipality/town], at [numerical hour of the day] on the [numerical day] of the [month] of the [year spelled out in words], before [name of Judge], Judge of the Municipal District of [name of District], and [name of Secretary], Secretary, appeared [name of declarant], of [hometown (country, if not Puerto Rico)], adult, of [marital status], [profession], and resident of [street address and number], in order to register a [daughter / son], and to do that as [relationship to child]:

That said [daughter / son] was born at the home of the declarant on [xx day of xx month].

That this child is the [legitimate / acknowledged / illegitimate] child of the declarant and [information about other parent; this section might include information on grandparents, as well].

That this child is [granddaughter/grandson] of [paternal grandfather's name], [aged xx years / deceased], and [maternal grandfather's name], [aged xx years / deceased].

And that this child has been given the name [name of child].

All of which was been witnessed by [names and titles of witnesses].

Sealed by the Municipal Court Judge, declarant, and witnesses.

Some useful phrases in translation:

Puerto Rican Surnamespuerto Rican Genealogy Records

mil novecientos = 19__ (rarely, 'mil ochocientos' = 18__)

comparecio = appears

legitimo = legitimate

natural = illegitimate

ya difunto = deceased

de __ años de edad = is __ years old

Puerto Rican Surnamespuerto Rican Genealogy Ancestry

Some records also list the race of the child, which literally translate as: blanca/o = white; mestiza/o = literally 'mixed', typically refers to a person of Spanish and Native American ancestry; mulata/o = a person with one parent of African descent and one parent of European descent; negra/o = black; parda/o = brown; triqueña/o = 'three cultures'.