Genealogy in Mayenne (53): archives for your family tree

Genealogy cheat sheet - Discover useful links to find your ancestors in Mayenne: archives, records, maps, videos, stories, and more...

Genealogy in Mayenne (53): archives for your family tree

©️CPArama

updated: October 3, 2024



The department of Mayenne is located in the heart of the Pays de la Loire region. It was established on January 15, 1790. It extends over a large part of the provinces of Maine and Anjou and takes its name from the river that surrounds it.


It is bordered by the departments of the Ille-et-Vilaine, of the Manche, of the Orne, of the Sarthe and of the Maine-et-Loire.


From a genealogical perspective, Mayenne has several specific features:

  • A strong rural and agricultural tradition, with many peasant families whose history can be traced over several generations.
  • The impact of the Wars of Vendée and the Chouannerie at the end of the 18th century, which marked the region and its inhabitants.
  • The presence of many castles and manors, witnesses to a rich noble history.
  • A relative demographic stability until the 19th century, favoring the continuity of family lines.



📄 The archives of Mayenne


The Departmental Archives of Mayenne



Visit the Departmental Archives of Mayenne:

📍  6 Place des Archives, 53000 Laval


Contact the Departmental Archives of Mayenne:

📞  02 43 59 10 90

📧  Contact form



The Departmental Archives of Mayenne provide you with several digitized archive collections: 



The municipal archives of Laval


To learn more about the history of Laval and its agglomeration, you can find documents at the Archives of Laval, either on site or digitized.



Online records




Unusual records




🌍 Migrations in Mayenne


The department of Mayenne is far from having been an immigration land. On the contrary, emigration even holds a certain place there.


  • Antiquity and Middle Ages : the Diablintes, a Gaulish people, settled in the region before the Romanization of the region. In the 5th-6th centuries, Breton populations fleeing Anglo-Saxon invasions settled in Mayenne lands. 


  • 16th-17th centuries : Protestantism develops in the region and the region experiences internal migrations linked to religious wars.


  • 18th century : the region experiences relative demographic stability with little migratory movement. However, some families emigrate to French colonies. 


  • 19th century : at the end of the 19th century, flax cultivation and weaving are the main activities of the department. Agricultural workers from Mayenne temporarily migrate to Paris or neighboring countries and return in the spring for the harvests. However, few foreigners are employed in agriculture. There are mostly many Breton immigrants for industrial work. Earlier, some weaver workers from Flanders arrived in Mayenne, around Laval. 


  • 20th century : the rural exodus of the 20th century forces the department to reorient itself towards dairy production.
    In 1918, the 1st and 2nd battalions of the first Polish hunter regiment were established in Mayenne, the 3rd in Laval. This regiment included a majority of soldiers from the American army and Poles (as well as a few Russian and German soldiers). 



For more information:



📷 Mayenne in images


Old images and postcards




Old maps of the department


  • On Old Maps Online: the old maps of the department
  • On Gallica: the old maps of the Mayenne



📄 The history of Mayenne


On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to know everything about the department of Mayenne



🖥️ Genealogy sites in Mayenne


Genealogy circles and associations in Mayenne or nearby



Genealogy blogs about Mayenne



Accounts to follow on social media




Happy researching! 


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