Genealogy in Côte d'Or: Searching for Your Ancestors

Genealogy Cheat Sheet - Find your ancestors in Côte d'Or with our useful resources: archives, maps, history, all in one place!

Genealogy in Côte d'Or: Searching for Your Ancestors

©️Gallica - Claude Villetaneuse


Côte d'Or is a French department located in the heart of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. Its name evokes the golden hues of the vineyards that adorn its hillsides, but the department extends far beyond, encompassing diverse landscapes from the plains of the Saône to the foothills of the Morvan. 


The Côte d'Or department was created in 1790 during the French Revolution from the former province of Burgundy. It is bordered by the departments of the Yonne, the Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, the Jura, the Haute-Saône, the Aube, and the Haute-Marne. 


Historically, the region played a crucial role from antiquity. The ruins of Alésia testify to the strategic importance of the territory during the Gallo-Roman period. In the Middle Ages, Côte d'Or became the heart of the powerful Duchy of Burgundy, leaving a remarkable architectural and cultural heritage, particularly in Dijon, its capital. 


Geographically, Côte d'Or is characterized by its diversity. In the east, the Saône plain contrasts with the Châtillonnais hills in the west, while the south is dominated by the famous wine-growing coast. This topographical variety has influenced the settlement and movements of populations over the centuries. 



📜 Archives of Côte d'Or



Departmental Archives of Côte d'Or 



Visit the Departmental Archives of Côte d'Or:

📍 8 rue Jeannin, 21000 Dijon


Contact the Departmental Archives of Côte d'Or:

📞 03 80 63 66 98

📧 archives@cotedor.fr




Digitized Archives of the Departmental Archives of Côte d'Or 


Browse the digitized archives in the Côte d'Or department to search for your ancestors: 


Genealogy:




Modern Archives: 


Ancient Archives: 

  • Collection of sealed documents, seals, and counter-seals (catalogue PS)

Series B - Courts and jurisdictions - Court of Accounts of Dijon

Series C - Provincial Administrations

Series E - Civil status, notaries and other public and ministerial officers 

Series H and H-deposit – Archives of the clergy and hospitals


Maps and plans:


Iconography:
  • Poster collection (5 Fi)
  • Postcards - Dijon (9 Fi)
  • Postcards - Burgundy - outside Dijon (9 Fi)
  • Postcards - Other regions (9 Fi)
  • Isolated maps and plans (12 Fi)
  • Geological maps (14 Fi)
  • Agricultural maps (15 Fi)
  • Tourism office: photographs of emblematic Burgundian places (18 Fi)
  • Photographs related to the Normal School of Teachers in Dijon (19 Fi)
  • Collection of devotional images related to Côte-d'Or (22 Fi)
  • Personal religious and civil diplomas (30 Fi)
  • Mental asylum and general hospital of Dijon (34 Fi)
  • Dijon Lycée and 20th Dragoon Regiment in Limoges (36 Fi)
  • Dijon Committee for the Defense of the Larzac (39 Fi)
  • Michel Reddé Collection: plans, tracings, and photographs of the excavations of the VIIIth Legion camp in Mirebeau-sur-Bèze (47 Fi)
  • Medieval manuscripts reused as bindings (49 Fi)
  • Stereoscopic plates of World War I (52 Fi)
  • Glass plates of the Belle Époque (57 Fi)
  • Dijon in 1911 (stereoscopic views) (59 Fi)
  • Stamps of military hospitals in Côte-d'Or during World War I (61 Fi)


Online Records 




Unusual Records




🌍 Migrations in Côte d’Or


Historical perspective on migrations and population movements in Côte d'Or and Burgundy-Franche-Comté: 


  • Antiquity: The Aedui, a Celtic people, settled in the region around the 3rd century BC. Then, Romans arrived after the conquest of Gaul, notably at Alesia and Dijon (Divio). 


  • Middle Ages: The barbarian invasions of the 5th and 6th centuries AD brought new ethnic groups, such as the Burgundians and Alamans. The region was then integrated into the Frankish kingdom. Dijon developed as the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy, its population grew from 10,000 to 20,000 between the 12th and 15th centuries. Cistercian monks immigrated and founded the abbey of Cîteaux in 1098. 


  • Renaissance and Early Modern Period: Swiss and German Protestants arrived in the region in the 16th century. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, about 3,000 Huguenots left the region. Italian and Swiss immigration for the development of vineyards is estimated at several hundred families in the 18th century. 


  • 19th Century: Following significant rural exodus, Dijon and the industrial cities of the region saw a significant increase in their urban population between 1800 and 1900. Additionally, Italian workers arrived in the region to work on railway projects, numbering about 5,000 between 1850 and 1880. 


  • 20th Century: Côte d'Or experienced significant Polish immigration in the 1920s (about 3,000 people). Spanish refugees fleeing the civil war were also welcomed in the region. 



To learn more:

History and memory of foreigners in Burgundy in the 19th and 20th centuries

History and memory of immigration in the Burgundy region



🏆 Côte d’Or in images


Videos




Old images and postcards




Old maps of the department




📜 The History of Côte d’Or




On Gallica: books , press and manuscripts to learn everything about the Côte d'Or department



🏠 The 50 Most Common Surnames in Côte d'Or


Top 10 Surnames in Côte d'Or: 

  • MARTIN
  • BERNARD
  • GARNIER
  • PETIT
  • MOREAU
  • THOMAS
  • PERRIN
  • ROYER
  • ROBERT
  • RICHARD


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

  • GIRARD
  • ROY
  • ROUX
  • PERROT
  • FOURNIER
  • CLERC
  • SEGUIN
  • DESCHAMPS
  • MASSON
  • MILLOT
  • RENARD
  • GAUTHIER
  • SIMON
  • ROUSSEAU
  • BOURGEOIS
  • NOIROT
  • LAMBERT
  • DUBOIS
  • CHEVALIER
  • BARBIER
  • COLLIN
  • DUMONT
  • BAILLY
  • RENAUD
  • DURAND
  • JOLY
  • FRANCOIS
  • LAURENT
  • PICARD
  • CHAPUIS
  • FAIVRE
  • MARCHAND
  • MANIERE
  • NICOLAS
  • GERARD
  • VINCENT
  • MATHIEU
  • CHARLOT
  • BERTRAND
  • CLEMENT


🖵️ Genealogy Sites in Côte d'Or


Genealogy Circles and Associations in Côte d'Or



Useful Social Networks




Happy researching! 


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