Louisiana Census Records

See Also Researching in Census Records - What is the name, age, sex, color, occupation, and birthplace of each person residing in this house? Which of these individuals attended school or was married within the year? Who among them is deaf and dumb, blind, insane, “idiotic,” a pauper, or a convict? Is there anyone in the household over twenty years of age who cannot read and write? What is the name of the slave owner? How many slaves belong to the owner? What is the tribe of this Indian? What were the places of birth of the person’s parents? In what year did this person immigrate to the United States and, if naturalized, what was the year of naturalization? For answers to these and other questions, researchers look to census records......

Statewide Records that exist for Louisiana are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. After the 1803 purchase of Louisiana it became an American possession; therefore, the first federal census report taken for the state was 1810.

Caution should be used particularly with the AIS indexes for Louisiana. Many of the French and Spanish names were transcribed wrong and numerous omissions exist. Many of these population schedules have been published. See Louisiana Census Records. Volume I: Avoyelles and St. Landry Parishes, 1810 and 1820 & Louisiana Census Records. Volume II: Iberville, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, and Rapides Parishes, 1810 and 1820 by Robert Bruce L. Ardoin & The Census Tables for the French Colony of Louisiana from 1699 Through 1732 by Charles R. Maduell, Jr. These books are on 1 Family Archive CD

As early as 1860 the federal government began attempts to identify Native Americans. In 1900 and 1910 it created a special Indian schedule. The first page was the same as the population census only it had “Indian Population” as its heading. The second page provided for such important information as: tribal affiliation, the tribe of each parent, the person's Indian blood quantum, and—if not full blooded —their precise racial mixture. These schedules will be found at the end of the ward or district in which the Native American resided.

There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890.

During the colonial period Louisiana shifted from French to Spanish control. Not until after the 1803 purchase of Louisiana did it become an American possession; therefore, the first federal census report taken for the state was 1810. But the French and Spanish were diligent scribes and many censuses exist for Louisianians. Some of the censuses for the colony's inhabitants are listed below (These are also availible for purchase on CD):

French Period

December 1699: Census of the Inhabitants of the first settlement on the Gulf Coast, Fort Maurepas
25 May 1700: Census of the Officers, petty officers, sailors, Canadians, freebooters, and others located at Biloxi as of 25 May 1700
1704: List of marriageable girls who arrived aboard the Pelican at Biloxi in the year 1704
1 August 1706: Census of the inhabitants of Fort Louis de la Louisianne at Mobile, taken by Nicolas de la Salle
1 August 1706: Census of families and inhabitants of Louisiana, taken by Nicolas de la Salle
1711: Census of Fort Louis de la Mobile from the map of 1711
25 October 1713: List of officers commissioned at Fort Louis, Biloxi
October 1713: Persons mentioned in the colony by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
24 November 1721: General census of all the inhabitants of New Orleans and environs, as reported by Le sieur Diron
26 June 1721: Census of the inhabitants in the area of Biloxi and Mobile, as reported by Le sieur Diron
13 May 1722: Census of the inhabitants of the concessions along the Mississippi River; reported by Le Sieur Diron
1 May 1722: Census of the inhabitants of Natchitoches, Fort St. Jean Baptist, taken for Sieur Diron, General of the Troops
1722: Officials of the colony at Fort Louis, Biloxi, appointed in 1722
8 April 1723: Some colonists of Louisiana mentioned in a letter by de La Chaise
18 October 1723: Some colonists of Louisiana mentioned in a letter by de La Chaise
12 November 1724: Census of inhabitants of German villages located ten leagues above New Orleans along the river, under command of D'Arensbourg
20 December 1724: Census of inhabitants along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Ouacha, or the German villages
March 1725: Census of the inhabitants of Dauphin Island, along the Mobile River, Cat Island, and Penscagoula [Pascagoula], compiled by M. Gorty
1 January 1726: General census of all the inhabitants of the colony of Louisiana, including the entire coast bordering the Gulf of Mexico, from Mobile to New Orleans, and the colonies along the Mississippi River, including the region known as Illinois
October 1726: List of those persons requesting Negroes from the company
1 July 1727: Census of New Orleans as reported by M. Perier, commander general of Louisiana; also continuation of the census of M. Perier, being the inhabitants in the environs of New Orleans, along the river
9 June 1730: List of persons massacred at Natchez, 28 November 1729, as reported by R. P. Philibert, Capuchin priest
1731: List of property owners of New Orleans on the map published by Gonichon in 1731; census of inhabitants along the Mississippi River, unsigned, initialled N. S.; and list of landowners located along the Mississippi River from its mouth to the German villages, with indications of how they acquired the land. Date mentioned “after 1731.”
January 1732: Census of the inhabitants and property owners of New Orleans; and census of the inhabitants of Illinois, both unsigned but initialled N. S.

Spanish Period

Legajo 34 1795: Census of Baton Rouge and Manchak
Legajo 81 - 1770: Reports of Eduardo Nugent and Juan Kelly on the number of inhabitants and livestock in the districts of Atakapas, Natchitoches, Opelousas, and Rapides
Legajo 117 - 1784 (?): Census of the German Coast
Legajo 121 - 1790: Census of Ouachita
Legajo 142 - 1805: Census of Baton Rouge
Legajo 187-b - 1766: List of inhabitants of Pointe Coupee; census of Pointe Coupee; list of Cote des Allemands; general census of Pointe Coupee; general census of Villere at Allemands
Legajo 188 - 1 - 1772: Left Bank of the Mississippi from Bayou de Placaminas to Ile au Marais; 1773 Rapides; 1774 negroes and mulattoes at Natchitoches
Legajo 188-2 - 1771: Census of Atakapas and Opelousas
Legajo 189-2 - 1776 (dated wrong, 1766): Census of parish of St. Charles (Allemands)
Legajo 193 - 1782: Census of Baton Rouge; 1786 census of Baton Rouge; 1798 census of the district of Nueva Feliciana; census of the district of la Metearie
Legajo 198 - 1785: Census of Avoyelles
Legajo 201 - 1788 and 1789: Census of Rapides; 1789 census of Natchitoches
Legajo 205 - 1772: Census of Rapides
Legajo 211 - 1795 (slaves): Census of Primer Cote des Allemand; census of the second and third wards of New Orleans; census of slaves at Allemands, Atakapas, Natchitoches; 1796 census of the Quartier de la Metairie of New Orleans
Legajo 212 - 1795 (slaves): General census of slaves of New Orleans and masters who contributed to indemnity for slaves lost at Pointe Coupee; 1778 census of the third ward of New Orleans; 1803 census of Pointe Coupee
Legajo 216 - 1799: Census of Allemands and Atakapas; general census of New Orleans
Legajo 218 - 1774: Census of Atakapas
Legajo 220 - 1803: Census of Atakapas (six documents)
Legajo 227-r - 1790: Recensements de la Pointe Coupee et Fausse Riviere
Legajo 2351 - 1777: Census of Louisiana
Legajo 2357 - 1771: Census of Louisiana
Legajo 2358 - 1777: Census of Atakapas and Opelousas
Legajo 2360 - 1786: Census of Atakapas and Opelousas
Legajo 2361 - 1787: Census of Pointe Coupee
Legajo 2364 - 1796: Census of Opelousas.

Almost all of these censuses from the Spanish archives have been published in English.

Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Adaes served as the Spanish capital of Texas from 1721-73. This presidio was located in present-day Natchitoches Parish, near Robeline, Louisiana. It was abandoned in 1773 and its inhabitants relocated in San Antonio, Texas. By 1779 many of these people moved back closer to their old home of Adaes and reestablished the mission at Nacogdoches, Texas. Yearly census reports exist for Nacogdoches for the years 1792-1806 and 1809. Many Louisiana ancestors can be found on these enumerations. See “Census Reports of the Village of Nuestra del Pilar de Nacogdoches,” Bexar Archives, University of Texas Archives, Austin, Texas—copies also found in the Robert Bruce Collection, Vol. 18, pages 71-284, Ralph W. Steen Library, Special Collection, Stephen F. Austin University, Nacogdoches, Texas.

Louisiana Census Books at Amazon.com
Census Records at Archives.com
Louisiana Census, 1810-90: This collection contains the following indexes: 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedule; 1850-1860 Sugar Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedules; Early Census Index

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Information on General Census Records

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Since 1790, the U.S. government has taken a nationwide population count every ten years. Unique in scope and often surprisingly detailed, the census population schedules created from 1790 to 1920 are among the most used of records created by the federal government. Over the course of two centuries the United States has changed significantly, and so has the census. From the six basic questions asked in the 1790 census, the scope and categories of information have changed and expanded dramatically.

Early censuses were essentially basic counts of inhabitants; but as the nation grew, so did the need for statistics that would reflect the characteristics of the people. In 1850, the focus of the census was radically broadened. Going far beyond the vague questions previously asked of heads of households, the 1850 census enumerators were instructed to ask the age, sex, color, occupation, birthplace, and other questions regarding every individual in every household. Succeeding enumerations solicited more information; by 1920, census enumerators asked twenty-nine questions of every head of household and almost as many questions of everyone else in the residence. (Only a very small segment of the 1890 census remains; a fire in the Commerce Department destroyed the vast majority of the original records for that year. Because of privacy considerations, census records less than seventy-two years old are not available to the general public; thus, the 1930 census is the most recent available to the public.)

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do the U.S. federal censuses. The population schedules are successive “snapshots” of Americans that depict where and how they were living at particular periods in the past. Once home sources and library sources have been exhausted, the census is often the best starting point for further genealogical research. Statewide indexes (see “Indexes,” below) are available for almost every census; they are logical tools for locating individuals whose precise place of residence is unknown. While some inaccuracies are to be expected in census records, they still provide some of the most fascinating and useful pieces of personal history to be found in any source. If nothing else, census records are important sources for placing individuals in specific places at specific times. Additionally, information found in the census will often point to other sources critical to complete research, such as court, land, military, immigration, naturalization, and vital records.

The importance of census records does not diminish over time in any research project. It is always wise to return to these records as discoveries are made in other sources because, as you discover new evidence about individuals, some information that seemed unrelated or unimportant in a first look at the census may take on new importance.

When you can’t find family, vital, or religious records, census records may be the only means of documenting the events of a person’s life. Vital registration—the official recording of births, deaths, and marriages—did not begin until around 1920 in many areas of the United States, and fires, floods and other disasters since have destroyed some official government records. When other documentation is missing, census records are frequently used by individuals who must prove their age or citizenship status (or that of their parents) for Social Security benefits, insurance, passports, and other important reasons.

Louisiana Census Records

Information on General Census Records

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How to Find Census Records

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