| Sorted by New Jersey census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| New Jersey, U.S., State Census, 1915 | 2,845,576 |
| New Jersey, U.S., State Census, 1905 | 2,145,283 |
| New Jersey, U.S., State Census, 1895 | 1,560,521 |
| New Jersey, U.S., State Census, 1885 | 1,286,556 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890 | 807,660 |
| View all New Jersey census & voter lists (10) |
| Sorted by New Jersey birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 | 14,243,544 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016 | 11,090,166 |
| U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 | 7,632,413 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1848-1878, 1901-2017 | 5,417,320 |
| U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 | 4,530,454 |
| View all New Jersey birth, marriage & death (40) |
| Sorted by New Jersey immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| New Jersey, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplanes, 1956-1969 | 559,401 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1878-1945 | 548,383 |
| Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775Free | 50,955 |
| The Old United Empire Loyalists List | 336 |
| More Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775 | 228 |
| View all New Jersey immigration & emigration (6) |
| Sorted by New Jersey newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| New Jersey, U.S., Published Archives Series, 1631-1782 | 29,634 |
| View other newspapers & periodicals collections related to New Jersey (28) |
| Sorted by New Jersey pictures | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no pictures collections unique to New Jersey | |
| View other pictures collections related to New Jersey (15) |
| Sorted by New Jersey directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 | 14,243,544 |
| U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 | 7,632,413 |
| U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 | 465,389 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 | 210,144 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 | 52,945 |
| View all New Jersey directories & member lists (26) |
| Sorted by New Jersey court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| New Jersey, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991 | 1,038,629 |
| U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 | 171,563 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817 | 48,943 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Published Archives Series, 1631-1782 | 29,634 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Calendar of Wills, 1670-1760 | 8,192 |
| View all New Jersey court, land, wills & financial (13) |
| Sorted by New Jersey dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Select Family History and Bible Records Index | 14,871 |
| Guide to vital statistics records in New Jersey | 919 |
| The Biographical encyclopedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century | 654 |
| Inventory of the church archives of New Jersey : Presbyterians | 570 |
| Historical collections of the state of New Jersey | 519 |
| View all New Jersey dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference (10) |
| Sorted by New Jersey maps, atlases & gazetteers | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no maps, atlases & gazetteers collections unique to New Jersey | |
| View other maps, atlases & gazetteers collections related to New Jersey (10) |
| Sorted by New Jersey stories, memories & histories | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775Free | 119,305 |
| New Jersey, U.S., Published Archives Series, 1631-1782 | 29,634 |
| The Story of New Jersey | 3,457 |
| New York, Holland Society Yearbook, 1914 | 2,424 |
| Genealogical and memorial history of the state of New Jersey | 1,933 |
| View all New Jersey stories, memories & histories (134) |
A genealogical history
Statehood: 18 December 1787
Capital: Trenton
Largest City: Newark
Counties: 21
State motto: Liberty and Prosperity
State nickname: Garden State
Neighboring states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware (Bay)
The Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ, c. 1897
Interesting facts
- The Dutch, Finns, and Swedes were the earliest European settlers in New Jersey and Bergen, now part of Jersey City, was the first permanent European settlement in the state.
- Because of its location between the cities of Philadelphia and New York, there were more Revolutionary War battles fought in New Jersey than in any other state. There were around 100 engagements between the American and British forces within the state, including the Battle of Trenton, which many historians consider to be a turning point in the war.
- In 1834, the Delaware and Raritan Canal opened up a faster transportation route between Philadelphia and New York City. The canal, in use for nearly a century, was one of the busiest canals in American, particularly in the 1860s and 1870s as Pennsylvania coal made its way to New York to supply its industrial needs.
Featured New Jersey collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
New Jersey Census Research
Existing federal censuses for the state of New Jersey begin in 1800; however, the surviving records from the 1800 census cover only Cumberland County. The 1790, 1810, and 1820 enumerations have been destroyed or lost. Of the mostly destroyed 1890 census, a few schedules survive for Jersey City in Hudson County.
State censuses were taken in New Jersey every ten years from 1855–1915. Unfortunately, they are not complete for 1855, 1865, and 1875. The census records are available at the New Jersey State Archives, the New Jersey State Library, Rutgers, the New Jersey Historical Society (1855–85), and the Newark Public Library (the latter has a street guide to Newark's wards, as do the state archives and Rutgers.
Two earlier "censuses" have been published for New Jersey: Kenn Stryker-Rodda, Revolutionary Census of New Jersey (1972; reprint; Lambertville, N.J.: Hunterdon House, 1986), which was constructed from tax records; and James S. Norton, New Jersey in 1793 (Salt Lake City: the author, 1973), which was taken from militia rosters, with tax records substituting for those counties with missing militia lists.
New Jersey Vital Records
Among the Mid-Atlantic states, New Jersey has the longest continuing run of statewide registration of births, marriages, and deaths, which began in May 1848.
- New Jersey Vital Statistics and Registration: Holds records of births, marriages, and deaths since 1901. Earlier records have been transferred to the State Archives.
- New Jersey State Archives: The Archives holds birth, marriage, and death records from May 1848 to December 1900. Copies can be requested from the Archives.
New Jersey Research Resources
The organizations listed below provide information about New Jersey 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.
Statewide Research Resources
- New Jersey State Archives: Supplementing the Archives’ extensive on-site collections, searchable databases and imaged collections provide references to many vital records, land, court, and Civil and Revolutionary War, and other records. Copies of many records can be ordered directly from the Archives.
- New Jersey State Library
- New Jersey Historical Society
- Genealogical Society of New Jersey: Sponsors programs and an annual meeting, and publishes the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey and a newsletter.
- New Jersey GenWeb
- New Jersey Digital Highway: Focused on New Jersey history and culture, this digital collection contains selected holdings from museums, libraries, and archives. See the pages on researching and documenting your family history.
- Rutgers University – Genealogy Research page: Describes the extensive resources available at the Special Collections and University Archives.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including New Jersey, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at New York City: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in New Jersey, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
Specialty and Regional Research
- New England Historic Genealogical Society: NEHGS holds a wide range of records on New England states.