Source Information

Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Index, 1741-2004 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data:
  • Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp. (P.O. Box 740, Orem, Utah 84059) from county marriage records on microfilm located at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, in published books cataloged by the Library of Congress, or county records in possession of the individual county clerks or courthouses.
  • North Carolina State Archives. North Carolina County Marriage Indexes. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. North Carolina Marriage Index, 1962-2004. North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, Raleigh, North Carolina.

About North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Index, 1741-2004

This database is an index to individuals who were married in various North Carolina counties between 1741 and 2004. The database is a compilation of several indexes obtained from multiple agencies, namely the North Carolina State Archives, North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, and Liahona Research. A list of counties and the years for which there are records covered in this index is available at the bottom of this page. Information provided in this index includes:

  • Names of bride and groom (Sometimes on an image in a name field you will see “NMN.” This stands for “No Middle Name.”)
  • Genders
  • Birth dates
  • Ages at time of marriage
  • Race or color of bride and groom
  • Marriage date
  • Marriage place (usually a county)
  • Source information (compiler, microfilm number, location of county court, etc.)

Important Notes:

  • As different agencies that captured different pieces of information created portions or parts of this database, not all of the above listed information may be available for each record.

  • The marriage date is usually the date of marriage as given in the original entry. However, when no marriage date is given the date of the license may be used. In a few cases, a marriage will be listed twice, but in two different counties. This most often happened when a couple obtained a license in one county, but were actually married in another.

  • Only records originating from the North Carolina State Archives have corresponding index images. The list of counties in the browse table does not represent all the counties included in this database.

    I Found An Ancestor In This Database….What Now?

    Marriage records are great sources for genealogists because they document an individual in a particular place and time as well as provide details about that person's marriage and establish important family relationships.

    It is important that you use the information found in this database to locate your ancestor in the records that this index references. Usually more information is available in the records themselves than is found in an index. For example, marriage records sometimes provide the birth dates and places of the bride and groom, their parents' names, their addresses, and witnesses' names, in addition to the information listed in this index.

    Finding the Original Marriage Record:

    Marriage records in this database from the State Archives are linked to corresponding images of the index on which the marriage is recorded. Be sure to view these images as additional information about your ancestor's marriage may be found there, which may help you obtain a copy of the original marriage record. Visit the North Carolina State Archives and/or Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records websites for more information about obtaining marriage record copies.

    Likewise, the marriage records in this database that come from the State Center for Health Statistics may give you enough information to obtain a copy of the original. The North Carolina State Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records holds marriage records from 1962-present. Check their website for information on how to request copies.

    In most cases, the marriage records from Liahona Research can be found on microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Generally, a FHL microfilm number will be provided for these records. If a FHL microfilm number is not listed for a record and it is not one of the State Archive or Center for Health Statistics records, check the Family History Library Catalog (available online at www.familysearch.org) under the appropriate locality and then under the section called, "Vital Records" for a possible source. Once a possible microfilm source is identified, you will need to order that microfilm to your local LDS Family History Center (more information about Family History Centers available on www.familysearch.org, under the Library tab) in order to search it.

    About Marriage Records in North Carolina:

    Most marriages before 1868 were not recorded. A 1669 law required that each marriage be registered, but compliance was apparently low. After 1868, the register of deeds in each county was given the task of issuing marriage licenses. These licenses and their accompanying certificates offer a wealth of information, including age when married, parents' names, if the parents were living, parents' residences, and consent when required. Marriage records from 1868 to 1962 are on file with the register of deeds in the county where the marriage took place. Most North Carolina marriage records dating from 1868 to 1950 have been microfilmed and are available at the North Carolina State Archives and the FHL. Marriage records dating from 1962 are available at the Division of Health Services.

    Taken from: Cerny, Johni and Gareth L. Mark. "North Carolina" in Ancestry's Red Book, ed. Alice Eichholz. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992).

    Counties and Years Included:

    The following table is a list of the counties and years covered in this index. It also includes a record count showing how many marriages from each county are included in this database so that researchers can get an idea about the comprehensiveness of the database. Occasionally you may find records for years not listed in the table below. These years have not been listed below because they do not represent a large portion of the records in the database.

    CountyYear RangesRecord Count
    Anson17624
    Ashe1829-1830; 1839-18722,948
    Beaufort1826; 1829; 1831-1832; 1839; 1845; 1848; 185016
    Bertie1763-1810; 1820-1834; 1837-1842; 1845-18694,526
    Brunswick1804-1818; 1836-68; 1953-9837,676
    Burke1806-18682,504
    Bute1770; 1773-79158
    Cabarrus1793-18688,023
    Caldwell1846-18752,605
    Camden1848-50; 1879-83692
    Carteret1792-199864,935
    Caswell1778-1868; 1957-199534,040
    Catawba1843-1900; 1975-198014,632
    Chatham1808-1853; 1903-199950,334
    Chowan1741-19847,446
    Clay1964-19851,986
    Cleveland1841-1847165
    Columbus1853-199844,800
    Craven1780-1862; 1865; 1988-189727,938
    Cumberland1802-187210,521
    Currituck1851-197238,376
    Davidson1823-1868; 1886-189310,880
    Davie1837-19693,931
    Duplin1755-1838; 1844-1857; 1865-1868;3,971
    Durham1977-198727,966
    Edgecombe1760-1770; 1799-18687,216
    Forsyth1849-1965245,891
    Gaston1848-185242
    Gates1779-18686,521
    Granville1756-186920,550
    Greene1979-19994,904
    Guilford1771-186920,419
    Halifax1816-1869; 1979-9926,247
    Haywood1808-704,012
    Hyde1750-54; 1757-65; 1769; 1777-79; 1785; 1796-98; 1802; 1806; 1810; 1845109
    Iredell1831; 18454
    Johnston1762-1988122,337
    Lee1908-198734,114
    Lenoir1833-1844; 1979-1998; 200027,588
    Lincoln1778-1800; 1826-18506,781
    Macon1829-18501,340
    Madison1851-691,685
    Martin1971-86; 19929,768
    McDowell1843-197959,077
    Mecklenburg1783-186710,596
    Montgomery1842-18681,299
    Moore1889-1961; 1979-9943,026
    Nash1778-83; 1790-1794; 1799-18684,610
    New Hanover1779-1780; 1797-1804; 1817-1818; 1837-1841; 1848-1868; 1901; 1942-1966; 1971-1998128,583
    Northampton1811-199546,414
    Onslow1773-1805; 1814-20; 1828-34; 1839-18674,199
    Orange1780-186815,822
    Pasquotank1769-1830; 1846-1989218,467
    Pender1972-199920,496
    Perquimans1742-45; 1755-1799; 1826-1842; 1847-18502,696
    Person1792-1800; 1828-31; 1833-704,094
    Pitt1900; 1962-199163,244
    Randolph1784-89; 1799-198177,762
    Richmond1780-1804; 1815-16370
    Robeson1787-1983113,824
    Rockingham1790-1869; 1900; 1946-2000137,087
    Rowan1758-1998185,030
    Rutherford1779-18689,218
    Sampson1979-8912,464
    Stanly18502
    Stokes1790-18507,980
    Surry1778-1842; 1844-1992108,944
    Transylvania1861-68; 1872-991,628
    Tyrrell1752-1771; 1774-18503,908
    Union1826; 1833-193679,129
    Wake1771-185010,863
    Warren1779-18677,446
    Wayne1790-1856; 1861-1988123,882
    Wilkes1778-1868; 1979-199542,256
    Wilson1857-1903; 1973-198850,190
    Yadkin1851-18672,284