Genealogy in the Hautes-Pyrénées (65): help and resources

Genealogy cheat sheet - Some research tips to find your roots in the Hautes-Pyrénées: archives, records, old maps, and more…

Genealogy in the Hautes-Pyrénées (65): help and resources

©️Wikimedia - Naetoru

updated: February 17, 2026


The department of Hautes-Pyrénées is part of the Occitanie region. Its prefecture is Tarbes, and it is bordered by the departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, of the Gers, of the Haute-Garonne and the province of Huesca in Spain to the South.


Created during the French Revolution in 1790, the department was mainly formed from the former province of Bigorre and the land of Quatre-Vallées. Its history is marked by the influence of the counts of Bigorre and a strong mountain identity.


It is a territory of striking contrasts, famous for its exceptional natural sites like the Cirque de Gavarnie or the Pic du Midi, as well as for the Marian city of Lourdes, which has become a worldwide pilgrimage center since the second half of the 19th century. For genealogists, understanding this geography is essential: the narrow valleys long favored a life of self-sufficiency, while creating cross-border links sometimes stronger with Spain than with the rest of France.



📜 The archives of the Hautes-Pyrénées


The departmental archives of the Hautes-Pyrénées

Visit the departmental archives of the Hautes-Pyrénées:

🏛 Hôtel du Département, rue Gaston Manent, 65013 Tarbes


Contact the departmental archives of the Hautes-Pyrénées:

📞 05 62 56 76 19

📧 Send an email


Browse the digitized archives for your ancestors:



Municipal archives in the department


Online records


Unusual records

  • An agreement to deal with cattle horn problems, a medical order and others on the J. Marchal's website.



🗺 Migrations in the Hautes-Pyrénées


Far from being a static territory, the Hautes-Pyrénées have experienced constant migratory flows, dictated by the harshness of the mountains, wars, or industrial development.

  • Under the Ancien Régime: as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, exchanges with Spain were common. The Bigourdans regularly crossed the passes for seasonal work (agricultural and artisan) in Aragon or Catalonia. These migrations were often motivated by religious wars or famines. In 1577, it is estimated that the French represented nearly 20% of the population in Aragon and Spanish Navarre.


  • 18th century: rural exodus begins to take shape. Young rural residents leave their valleys to join Bordeaux, then a thriving commercial port. For many, this was just a stepping stone before embarking for the colonies, particularly to Saint-Domingue, Martinique, or Guadeloupe.


  • 19th century: this is the most significant period for Pyrenean genealogy. Between 1832 and 1913, approximately 25,000 people left the department. The right of primogeniture, which gave little hope to younger family members to own land, pushed them toward Argentina, Uruguay, and California. These "Americans" often left with the hope of making a fortune to return and build beautiful houses in their hometown.


  • 20th century: the 20th century partially reversed the trend. While rural exodus to major cities (Pau, Toulouse, Paris) continued, the department became a land of welcome. In 1914-1918, the arrival of foreign workers to work at the Tarbes Arsenal marked the department. In 1939, a massive influx of Spanish refugees fleeing the dictatorship (the Retirada) arrived. The 1950s-1960s saw the recruitment of laborers (Portugal, Maghreb) for the construction of large hydroelectric dams and industry.

To learn more:



📷 The Hautes-Pyrénées in images


Videos


Images and old postcards


Old maps of the department


📖 The history of the Hautes-Pyrénées



On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the Hautes-Pyrénées department



🗺️ Genealogy sites in the Hautes-Pyrénées


Genealogy circles and associations in the Hautes-Pyrénées or nearby


Accounts to follow on social networks



Happy researching!



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