Genealogy in Dordogne: Are you looking for your ancestors?

Genealogy Cheat Sheet - Find your ancestors in Dordogne with this genealogy cheat sheet: archives, online records, maps, and postcards, useful sites...

Genealogy in Dordogne: Are you looking for your ancestors?

©️Wikimedia - Daudrix

Updated: May 29, 2024


The Dordogne department is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It is bordered by the departments of Haute-Vienne, the Corrèze, the Lot, the Lot-et-Garonne, the Gironde, the Charente-Maritime and the Charente.

The Dordogne department was created in 1790 during the French Revolution. It takes its name from the river that flows through it.

The region is known for its prehistoric caves, medieval castles, and picturesque villages. The history of Dordogne dates back to prehistory, with sites such as the Lascaux cave and the Rouffignac cave.



📚 The archives of Dordogne


The departmental archives of Dordogne: a goldmine for genealogists


Visit the Departmental Archives of Dordogne:

📍 9 rue Littré, 24000 Périgueux


Contact the Departmental Archives of Dordogne:

📞  05 53 03 33 33

📧  Send an email



Online archives of the AD of Dordogne


Browse the archives of the AD of Dordogne to find your ancestors: 



Online records 




Unusual records




🏠 Migrations in Dordogne


  • Prehistoric and ancient period: since the first inhabitants of Dordogne date back to the Paleolithic era, the lands of Périgord, and particularly the Vézère Valley, still hold the largest number of prehistoric sites discovered to this day. Over 15 sites (caves, troglodyte sites, deposits...) are listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Famous sites like the Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume caves house spectacular rock paintings.

    The region was occupied by the Gallic Petrocori in the 2nd century BC, later joined by populations of diverse origins. Much later, the Romans settled in Périgord, leaving their mark in cities like Vesunna and Sarlat.


  • Middle Ages: Périgord was invaded by Germanic barbarians (Visigoths, Franks) in the 5th and 6th centuries. The region was long disputed by the Merovingian kings before becoming part of the Kingdom of Toulouse in 630, ruled by the Dukes of Aquitaine. Many castles and abbeys were built during this time.

    During the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century, the region saw the settlement of populations from Northern Europe (Normans, English).


  • Modern period: Béarn, Gascony, and Basque migrants settled in Périgord in the 17th and 18th centuries to work in agriculture and crafts. At the same time, Protestant refugees arrived in the region after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.

    In the 18th century and during the French Revolution, the department welcomed many refugees fleeing violence in cities like Bordeaux. Other populations, from Limousin or Auvergne for example, also settled there to work in paper mills and crafts.

    In the 19th century, many seasonal workers from poorer regions (Creuse, Corrèze) settled in the region to benefit from major infrastructure projects. At the same time, a Spanish community, fleeing the Carlist conflicts, settled in Brantôme in the 1830s.

    In the 20th century, Italians settled in the region to work in agriculture, while Spanish refugees fleeing Francoism in 1939 settled in camps like Boulazac. The region then experienced progressive economic immigration from the Maghreb, Spain, and Portugal, after World War II. Then, the 1990s saw the arrival of seasonal workers from Eastern Europe to work in fruit farming and forestry.


For more information:



📷 Dordogne in images


Videos




Old images and postcards




Old maps of the department


  • From Cassini's villages to today's communes: the department of Dordogne
  • On Old Maps Online: old maps of the department
  • On Gallica: old maps of Dordogne



📄 The history of Dordogne




On Gallica: the books and the press to learn everything about the Dordogne department



💬 The 50 most common surnames in Dordogne


Top 10 surnames in Dordogne: 

  • FAURE
  • MARTY
  • DUPUY
  • DELAGE
  • LACOSTE
  • BESSE
  • LAGARDE
  • PETIT
  • DUMAS
  • LACOMBE


the other 40 most popular surnames in the department (according to the Fichier de l'INSEE) : 

  • DURAND
  • BOYER
  • DUBOIS
  • LAVAUD
  • BONNET
  • MAZEAU
  • GAUTHIER
  • LABROUSSE
  • GAILLARD
  • LAFON
  • MAURY
  • ROBERT
  • MOREAU
  • LACHAUD
  • REY
  • BERNARD
  • LAVAL
  • MARTIN
  • MAZIERE
  • LASSERRE
  • MAGNE
  • RAYNAUD
  • ROCHE
  • ROUSSEAU
  • BORDAS
  • ROUX
  • ROUGIER
  • LAFAYE
  • FOURNIER
  • VIGIER
  • BUISSON
  • MATHIEU
  • REBIERE
  • GARRIGUE
  • DELMAS
  • DELBOS
  • BOUYSSOU
  • GUICHARD
  • BRACHET
  • DUBREUIL


🗄️ Genealogy sites in Dordogne


Genealogy circles and associations in Dordogne and surroundings




Genealogy blogs in Dordogne




Useful social networks




Happy researching! 


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