| Sorted by Delaware census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 | 171,563 |
| Delaware, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1850 | 1,951 |
| Delaware, U.S., African Americans in 1890 U.S. Census | 599 |
| A history of the Talley family on the Delaware and their descendants | 256 |
| 1800 census, Delaware | 209 |
| View all Delaware census & voter lists (6) |
| Sorted by Delaware birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 | 7,632,413 |
| U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 | 4,566,787 |
| Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1750-1954 | 649,980 |
| Delaware, U.S., Death Records, 1861-1933 | 517,401 |
| Delaware, U.S., Birth Records, 1800-1932 | 446,507 |
| View all Delaware birth, marriage & death (15) |
| Sorted by Delaware military | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 | 54,144,553 |
| U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 | 14,501,913 |
| U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 | 837,569 |
| Delaware, World War I Servicemen Records, 1917-1919 | 9,981 |
| Delaware, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1850 | 1,951 |
| View all Delaware military (6) |
| Sorted by Delaware immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775Free | 50,955 |
| Delaware, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1802-1944 | 31,652 |
| Delaware, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1796-1959Free | 14,040 |
| The Old United Empire Loyalists List | 336 |
| More Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775 | 228 |
| View other immigration & emigration collections related to Delaware (62) |
| Sorted by Delaware newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Delaware, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current | 35,674,285 |
| View other newspapers & periodicals collections related to Delaware (21) |
| Sorted by Delaware pictures | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no pictures collections unique to Delaware | |
| View other pictures collections related to Delaware (15) |
| Sorted by Delaware directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 | 7,632,413 |
| U.S., Craftperson Files, 1600-1995 | 147,553 |
| Early clergy of Pennsylvania and Delaware | 281 |
| Directory of churches and religious organizations in Delaware | 169 |
| View other directories & member lists collections related to Delaware (100) |
| Sorted by Delaware court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947Free | 1,983,276 |
| Delaware, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1676-1971 | 232,107 |
| U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 | 171,563 |
| Delaware, U.S., Wills and Administrations, 1683-1947Free | 67,312 |
| Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850Free | 18,601 |
| View all Delaware court, land, wills & financial (6) |
| Sorted by Delaware dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Select Family History and Bible Records Index | 14,871 |
| Delaware : a guide to the first state | 567 |
| View other dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference collections related to Delaware (90) |
| Sorted by Delaware maps, atlases & gazetteers | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no maps, atlases & gazetteers collections unique to Delaware | |
| View other maps, atlases & gazetteers collections related to Delaware (7) |
| Sorted by Delaware stories, memories & histories | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775Free | 119,305 |
| Annals of Pennsylvania | 672 |
| Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution, Vol. I | 621 |
| Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution, Vol. II | 604 |
| Delaware Governor's Register 1674-1851, Volume I | 570 |
| View all Delaware stories, memories & histories (31) |
A genealogical history
Statehood: 7 December 1787
Capital: Dover
Largest City: Wilmington
Counties: 3
State motto: Liberty and Independence
State nickname: The First State
Neighboring states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland
James Lequlla, newsboy, Wilmington, Delaware, c. 1910
Interesting facts
- Delaware is the second smallest state with only 1,955 square miles and is 46th in size when it comes to population. It also has the fewest counties, with only three.
- Delaware was the first state the ratify the Constitution on 07 December 1787, which led to its nickname of "The First State. "
- During the seventeenth century, Delaware fell under the control of the Dutch, Swedes, and British at various times, and in 1682 was the "Three Lower Counties" of Pennsylvania.
Featured Delaware collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
Delaware Census Research
Delaware federal census are complete from the second federal census of 1800. The first census for 1790 was lost or destroyed, but a reconstruction from tax and assessment records was compiled by former state archivist Leon de Valinger, Jr., and published by the National Genealogical Society as "Reconstructed 1790 Census of Delaware," NGS Special Publication No. 10, 2nd printing (Washington, DC: National Genealogical Society, 1962).
Some earlier enumerations have been constructed from tax records and other lists. These include Harold B. Hancock, ed., The Reconstructed Delaware State Census of 1782 (Wilmington: Delaware Genealogical Society, 1983); and Ronald Vern Jackson, Early Delaware Census Records 1665–1697 (Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1977). There are no available state censuses available for Delaware.
Delaware Vital records
Though the Bureau of Vital Statistics was created in 1913, many records have been transferred to the State Archives in recent years. Records of the bureau after 1913 are restricted, and copies are only available to those with “a direct interest” or a need to establish personal or property rights. The city of Wilmington has had a registrar of vital statistics since 1881.
- Delaware Division of Public Health – Office of Vital Statistics: Holds records of births more recent than 72 years, and marriage and death records newer than 40 years.
- Delaware State Archives – Records Request page: The Archives holds birth certificates created since 1913 that are 72 years or older and death and marriage certificates 40 years old or older. See the Vital Records requests section for information on records searches.
Delaware Research Resources
The organizations listed below provide information about Delaware history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.
- Delaware Public Archives: See the Collections page for an overview of resources held at the Archives, including census, military, probate, and naturalization records.
- Delaware Historical Society: The Research Library in Wilmington contains family histories, surname files, and public records of interest to genealogists. A guide to researching Delaware Genealogy at the Historical Society is available on the website.
- Delaware Genealogical Society
- Delaware GenWeb: Lists links and contact information for local genealogical and historical societies, and includes links to county genealogy web sites.
- RootsWeb Delaware Resources: Contains links to Delaware genealogy resources, including state and county-level websites; societies and organizations; and personal and miscellaneous web sites related to Delaware research.
- Morris Library at the University of Delaware - Genealogy Resources
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at Philadelphia: This NARA facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Connecticut, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
Specialty and Regional Research