Baltimore Roman Catholic Parish Registers Browse

In this browse search, you can look through baptism, marriage, burial, communion, and confirmation registers from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The registers span the years from 1782 to 1918.

Depending on the event type, when the event occurred, and the condition of the original records, the amount of information available on your ancestor will vary.

Keep in mind as you look through these records that most Roman Catholic registers were recorded in Latin. See our search tips below for assistance in deciphering the Latin found in these records.

Baptisms

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Birth year
• Birth date
• Baptism year
• Baptism date
• Father’s first name(s)
• Father’s last name
• Mother’s first name(s)
• Mother’s last name
• Residence
• Parish
• City
• County

Marriages

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Sex
• Birth year
• Age
• Status
• Denomination
• Father’s first name(s)
• Mother’s first name(s)
• Marriage year
• Marriage date
• Spouse’s first name(s)
• Spouse’s last name
• Spouse’s birth year
• Spouse’s age
• Spouse’s status
• Spouse’s denomination
• Spouse’s father’s first name(s)
• Spouse’s mother’s first name(s)
• Parish
• City
• County

Burials

• First name
• Last name
• Age
• Birth year
• Death year
• Death date
• Burial year
• Burial date
• Parish
• City
• County

Established in 1789, the Archdiocese of Baltimore was the first Roman Catholic diocese in the United States. It became an archdiocese in 1808 and was the only Roman Catholic archdiocese in the United States until 1847. The archdiocese covers the city of Baltimore as well as nine of Maryland’s twenty-four counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore is home to the first Catholic cathedral in the United States, the Basilica of the Assumption. Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, America’s first professionally trained architect, it was built between 1806 and 1821. John Carroll, the first Roman Catholic bishop of the United States, is buried in the crypt. You can view the records of the Basilica of the Assumption in this collection.

Most Roman Catholic registers are in Latin. For help deciphering Latin terms, please see the below key terms:

• Birth (nati, natus, genitus, natales, ortus, oriundus)
• Baptism date (datum baptismi)
• Birth date (datum nativitatis)
• Birth place (locus nativitatis)
• Cemetery (cemeterio)
• Christening (baptismi, baptizatus, renatus, plutus, lautus, purgatus, ablutus, lustratio)
• Child (infans, filius/filia, puer, proles)
• Death, died (obiit, defunctorum, defuncti)
• Father (pater)
• Godparent (patrini, levantes, susceptores, compater, commater, matrina)
• Marriage date (datum matrim)
• Married together with (matrimonium contraxit cum)
• Mother (mater)
• Name and residence (nomen et residentia)
• Parents (parentes, genitores)
• Priest’s name (nomen sacerdotis)
• Witnesses (testes)
• When (quando)
• Where (ubi)
• Years of age (aetatis)