Swiss Genealogy

Our Swiss Ancestors lived in Canton Aargau near the top center of Switzerland.

Swiss Genealogy Tools

1291 Initiative.
Help us today by donating to protect our Swiss cultural heritage.

Tip #1: Know the canton and/or the village of  your family surname.

Swiss citizenship is based on inherited rights maintained in a specific community and records will be found in the Gemeindehaus or what we might call the village hall. 

Tip #2: As a rule the Swiss inherit their place of origin from their fathers.

Tip #3: The village, town or city has the certificates of family origin. and records of births, marriages and deaths as the parish registers used to do.

This community resource whether at the village or state (cantonal) archives are the most important record depositories for learning about your ancestry.

You will need to know the correct Swiss spelling of your surname as it often changed when emigrating from Switzerland.

Click on the picture and you'll be taken to the Register of Swiss Surnames.

World family names can also be tracked using Public Profiler. Click on it to track your name.

Don't forget to find out where your family may have settled in the "new world". We havesome of that information here.

The Swiss Society of Genealogical Studies (SSGS) is our most important resource in your search for Swiss roots.Click on the picture above and you'll be taken to the SSGS website. 

You may also contact the Swiss Center of North America during business hours to discuss your search issues. 608-527-6565 or email at info@theswisscenter.org

Genlabs
Genlabs is a genealogy service located in Switzerland designed to meet a broad range of research and analytical needs for the hobby genealogist as well as professional researcher.

Where Did They go?
The reasons behind emigration are as varied as the people who left Switzerland.
Here is a look at where they went.and why.

Essential Information
First of all, in Switzerland, civil status documents (birth, marriage, divorce, death) have only been recorded by the official Swiss authorities since 1876. 

How to read Your Ancestors Documents
Reading old German records requires a knowledge of basic German genealogical terms and familiarity with German handwriting.The link provides one tool to use.

Preliminary work in the U.S.
Because of the aforementioned difficulties, namely the possible confusion over town names in Switzerland, it is recommended, sometimes even necessary, first to exhaust all research possibilities in the US.

A History of the Swiss in Canada
Switzerland, like Canada, is a multicultural country. The Swiss have four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romanch (a Latin dialect in use before the time of Christ).

Useful Vocabulary
Time Expressions and Miscellaneous expressions or terms.

Great Links
Let's get started with these great links. 
The possibilities are endless as you explore your Swiss roots.

Additional Help and Links
We have provided links to many possible genealogy sites that will benefit your search.

Calendar Issues
If you have family documents from before the beginning of the 19th century, there may be some confusion about some of the dates.

Switzerland Genealogy Forum
History, Cantons, Research. Ask your questions.

Swiss Family Genealogy Sites
If you are lucky, someone in your Swiss family has already begun exploring the past.
Take a look.

Passport records for America and Australia issued by Canton Zurich 1848-1870 published by the Zurich cantonal archive. 
Passport records are an important source for the names of emigrants.

Billeter Collection
The extraordinary Billeter Collection, plus a portrait of Julius Billeter.

A Short History of the Swiss in Utah
Beginning in the mid-1850s, Swiss immigrants, virtually all converts from early successful Mormon proselytizing in their homeland, began arriving in the Utah territory.

Neuchatelois and Cellier Cellier families
The genealogy of my Neuchatelois and of many other Cellier worldwide.

SWISS SOCIETY OF NEW ORLEANS RECORDS
In addition to the records of the Swiss Society of New Orleans, this collection also contains the records of the Swiss-American Historical Association, Louisiana Chapter. Many of the people who belonged to the Swiss Society of New Orleans also belonged to this chapter. This collection contains the following records: an account ledger, member charges, membership records, and meeting minutes.

Swiss Roots-History
The first known Swiss in what is now the territory of the United States was Theobald von Erlach (1541-1565). More from Leo Schelbert.

The History of the Citizen Families of Engi
Learn about the families of Engi, Switzerland in the Canton of Glarus from this lecture on family names.

Coat of Arms
In earlier centuries mainly people with an official function needed a coat of arms, used for seals on important documents. Consequently patrician families will often have a long tradition with coats of arms. On the other hand, many coats of arms used today were newly created during the 19th and 20th centuries.

How Swiss are you Today?
Singer Jewel has Swiss Roots. Her grandfather Yule Kilcher, a delegate to the Alaska State Constitutional Convention and a state senator, had settled in Homer, Alaska  after immigrating from Switzerland.

We have more family stories that might help you learn about your search or just expand your understanding about being Swiss in a foreign land.

Enjoy their stories.

Canton Glarus
A Family Heritage Resource from Canton Glarus
Glarnerland, is a narrow valley in the mountains of eastern Switzerland with the city of Glaus its capital. Learn about Glarus democracy, history, foods, travel and sports. Many links including those of some of the Glarus families.Click here