Find your family in the 1841 Tuscan census

In 1841 the Grand Duchy of Tuscany counted its inhabitants house by house: more than 1.3 million people, with their ages, occupations and family relationships. We have indexed the entire census and can find your ancestors’ family for you, just as it was in that year.

Ask us to find your family
Try the surname map first

Why the 1841 census is so valuable

It is a complete snapshot of a family at a precise moment: who lived under the same roof, how old they were, what work they did, who was the head of the household. Grandparents, in-laws and servants often appear, as do wives’ maiden names, which alone can take you back one or two generations. Above all, it tells us which parish the family lived in: the key to continuing in the baptism, marriage and burial registers.

What you will receive

A one-page family sheet in PDF, ready to keep and print:

  • the community, the parish, the house and household numbers;
  • every member, with relationship to the head of the household, age, approximate year of birth, marital status, occupation and the census notes;
  • a short commentary: who they were, who lived next door, other families with the same surname in the parish, and advice on how to continue the research.
Example of an 1841 census family sheet: the Nannipieri family of Salviano
An example: the sheet for the Nannipieri family of Salviano (Livorno) in the 1841 census. Click to enlarge.

How it works

  1. Write to us with the surname and whatever you know: even an approximate place, the name of an ancestor living in those years, a date.
  2. We reply with a free quote, after checking how many families with that surname appear in the census.
  3. We search for your family and send you the sheet, usually within a few days.

What do we need to know? The more you can tell us, the quicker and surer the search. Ideally, the name of someone born before or shortly after 1841 and an idea of the place. If you only know the surname, we start from the surname map to see where it was found.

Frequently asked questions

Does the census cover all of Tuscany?
It covers the whole Grand Duchy of Tuscany as it was in 1841. At that time Lucca was still a separate duchy, and Massa and Carrara belonged to the Duchy of Modena: these areas are not included.

What if my surname is very common?
No problem: with a first name, an age or a place we can usually identify the right family. If there are several candidates, we tell you before going ahead.

What if the family cannot be found?
It can happen, for instance if in 1841 the family lived outside the Grand Duchy. In that case we explain what we checked and which avenues remain open.

Can the research go beyond 1841?
Of course: the sheet is often the starting point for full genealogical research in parish and civil registers.

Would you like to find your ancestors in 1841?

Write to us: the quote is free and without obligation.

Ask us to find your family