Census

What can I find in the Census records?

A census has been carried out in England, Wales and Scotland every ten years since 1841. On census night, which was always a Sunday, census enumerators used to go from door to door recording exactly who was present in every house. They would record the name, age, birth place and occupation of every resident. For more information about census records view our Census Guide.

How to search the Census records

• Start by searching for your grandparents or a known relative in the 1911 census by entering their name in the search box above
• Work backwards through the censuses, for example if you find your grandparents in the 1911 census living with their parents, try looking in the 1901 census to see if you can find your great grandparents living with their parents

Not enough results?

• Because the forms were filled in by an official who came to the door, names were often spelled incorrectly. Tick the 'name variants' box to include results with variations of the name.

Too many results?

• If you are searching for a person with a common surname, you can narrow down your search results by adding a place of birth in the 'optional keywords' box.