Genealogy in Cantal (15): Useful Genealogical Resources

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Genealogy in Cantal (15): Useful Genealogical Resources

updated: February 11, 2026


Cantal is a French department located in the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Its prefecture is the city ofAurillac. It is bordered by the departments of the Corrèze, the Haute-Loire, the Puy-de-Dôme, the Lozère, the'Aveyron and the Lot. 


Created during the French Revolution in 1790, the department generally corresponds to Haute-Auvergne. It is a land of contrasts, shaped by the largest volcano in Europe. Historically, Cantal is marked by a strong rural identity, between its high-altitude plateaus (the planèzes) and its narrow valleys.


 

📝 Cantal archives


Departmental Archives of Cantal: Your Ancestors in the Records


Visiting the Departmental Archives of Cantal:

    📍 42 Bis rue Paul Doumer, 15000 Aurillac


    Contact the Departmental Archives of Cantal:

    📞 04 71 48 33 38

    📧 Contact AD



    Browse the online archives to search for your ancestors:

     


    Online Records 

     

    Unusual Records 



    🗺️ Migrations in Cantal


    • 17th - 18th centuries : from the Ancien Régime, the harsh climate and poverty of the land pushed the Cantaliens to seasonal migration.
      Migrations to Spain were a strong specificity of Cantal. Many men left each year for Spain to work as water carriers, bakers, or traders (the "Espagnols"). Some settled there permanently, creating Auvergnat lines beyond the Pyrenees.
      Although less massive than in the West, Cantal provided its share of colonists for Canada, often via Atlantic ports.


    • 19th century : this is the century of demographic turning point. The population of Cantal stagnated then decreased with the call of the great metropolises.
      This is the mythical era of the "Bougnat". Cantaliens moved to Paris to become coal carriers, then lemonade sellers and café owners. This very tight community network allowed thousands of families to settle in the capital.
      Lumberjacks represented an emblematic seasonal migration to the East of France and the Paris region. Men left in the fall and returned for field work in the spring.


    • 20th century : the two world wars and the attraction of industrial jobs accentuated the hemorrhage to urban centers (Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon and always Paris). The department lost a large part of its active population.
      Although a land of emigration, Cantal welcomed Spanish refugees fleeing Francoism at the end of the 1930s. Later, after decolonization, Harki families were settled in forested hamlets (such as in Chalvignac).
      From the 1960s, the need for labor in public works (Truyère and Dordogne dams) and agriculture attracted workers from Portugal, Morocco, and Turkey, although in smaller proportions than in neighboring, more industrialized departments.


     

    For more information:

     

     

    🏔️ Cantal in pictures


    Videos

     

    Old images and postcards

     

    Old maps of the department

    • From Cassini villages to today’s communes: the Cantal
    • On Old Maps Online: old maps of the department 


    📄 The History of Cantal


     

    On Gallica: the books and the press to learn all about the Cantal Department



    🏠 The 50 most common surnames in Cantal


    Top 10 surnames in Cantal: 

    • VIDAL
    • SERRE
    • ROBERT
    • LAFON
    • DELMAS
    • BONNET
    • BOYER
    • VIGIER
    • DUMAS
    • ROUX


    The other 40 most popular surnames in the department (according to the INSEE File) : 

    • LAPORTE
    • ROCHE
    • LAVERGNE
    • FABRE
    • MAGNE
    • CHARBONNEL
    • JUILLARD
    • RIGAL
    • DELORT
    • COUDERC
    • BADUEL
    • LACOSTE
    • BESSE
    • BESSON
    • CHASSANG
    • MARTIN
    • BRUEL
    • DELPUECH
    • JOUVE
    • CHAUVET
    • MAURY
    • CHAMBON
    • TOURNADRE
    • FOURNIER
    • BRUN
    • MEYNIEL
    • RAYNAL
    • PUECH
    • FAU
    • RODDE
    • GIBERT
    • TEISSEDRE
    • GAILLARD
    • BLANC
    • CHABRIER
    • CHANUT
    • LABORIE
    • RONGIER
    • ROLLAND
    • ANDRIEU

     

    📥 Genealogy Websites in Cantal


    Genealogy circles and associations in Cantal 

     

    Genealogy blogs about Cantal 

     

    Social media accounts to follow

      

    Happy researching 


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