Genealogy in Gironde (33): The paths to find your ancestors
Genealogy cheat sheet - Your ancestors come from Gironde? Follow their traces in archives, registers, with useful maps, books, and websites
©️Wikimedia - Claude Villetaneuse
Updated: March 6, 2024
Gironde is a department located in the southwest of France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Created during the Revolution, it takes its name from the Gironde estuary, which is the largest estuary in Western Europe. It is composed of part of the former provinces of Guyenne and Gascogne and was briefly called "Bec-d'Ambès department. It is the largest department in metropolitan France. It is bordered by the departments of the Landes, of the Lot-et-Garonne, of the Dordogne and of the Charente-Maritime.
From a historical perspective, Gironde has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with sites such as the Pair-non-Pair cave testifying to human presence around 35,000 years ago. During the Roman era, Bordeaux, then known as Burdigala, was a prosperous port and city. In the Middle Ages, the region experienced a period of prosperity as part of the Duchy of Aquitaine, and it became part of France in the 15th century.
Gironde is also known for its role in the history of viticulture. The region is home to some of the world's most famous vineyards, including those of the Médoc region, Saint-Émilion, and Pomerol.
Like many regions of France, the department of Gironde has a rich and complex history. Many families have deep roots there.
📜 Archives of Gironde
Departmental archives of Gironde, in Bordeaux
The departmental archives of Gironde preserve over 98 km of linear documents.
Visit the departmental archives of Gironde:
📍 72 cours Balguerie-Stuttenberg, 33000 Bordeaux
Contact the departmental archives of Gironde:
📞 05 56 99 66 00
📧 Send an email
Online archives on the departmental archives of Gironde website
Consult the departmental archives of Gironde to find your ancestors:
Municipal archives in Gironde
Some large cities have their own archives, accessible online:
Online records
Unusual records
Genealogists have found unusual records in the archives of Gironde:
🌍 Migrations in Gironde
The Gironde department has experienced several waves of migration:
- For the ancient and medieval periods: The region was long inhabited by Celtic peoples such as the Bituriges Vivisques and the Santons. At the time of the Roman conquest, settlers moved to Burdigala (Bordeaux) and made this city a commercial and cultural center.
- In the Middle Ages : the region welcomed refugees during the Hundred Years' War and religious persecutions.
- In the 17th and 18th centuries : the port of Bordeaux, the Port of the Moon, specializes in coastal trade. Bordeaux becomes one of the largest French ports in terms of commercial exchanges between France and the Antilles, as well as in terms of slave trade. There was significant immigration of Africans, slaves or servants, who often worked as domestics, cooks, nannies, or nurses. At the same time, French Protestants (Huguenots) left the region for other European countries or the American continent.
- In the 19th century : the Gironde department experienced significant immigration from Spaniards, Portuguese, and Italians, as well as English, German, and Dutch people who came to work in vineyards, at the port, and in industry. French people from other regions also settled in Gironde.
- In the 20th century : Gironde welcomed French and foreign refugees during World War I and World War II. The department also welcomed men from the colonies to reinforce the ranks of French soldiers. Spanish immigration was significant, with many settling in the Saint-Michel neighborhood in Bordeaux. The interwar period saw a significant increase in the number of immigrants in Gironde (over 25,000 - Bretons, Vendéens, Auvergnats, but also Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese). After 1945, many Algerians settled in the region.
The port of Bordeaux was a gateway to the Americas and particularly South America. Thus, many French people left with their wives and children to settle in Argentina, Brazil, or Venezuela (we discussed this here).
To learn more about migrations in Gironde and Aquitaine:
- Aquitaine, lands of immigration, by Christophe Drot
- History and memories of immigration in Aquitaine
- History of Portuguese immigration. The role of the Aquitaine region, by Manuel Dias Vaz
- Bordeaux immigration, 1737-1791, by Jean-Pierre Pousson
- Emigration agents in Bordeaux, by Isabelle Tauzin-Castellanos
- Italians in the agriculture of South-West France (1920-1950), by the Museum of Immigration History
- Libertad! Gironde and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), by the Gironde Departmental Archives
- Romany people in Gironde during World War II, by Emmanuel Filhol
- Spaniards in Gironde in 1964, by the Gazette des Archives
🏛️ Gironde in Pictures
Videos of Gironde
Images and Postcards
Old Maps of the Department
- From Cassini’s Villages to Today’s Communes: the department of Gironde
- On Old Maps Online: old maps of the department
- On Gallica: old maps of the Gironde
📭 The history of Gironde
On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the Gironde department
👥 Genealogy sites in Gironde
Genealogy circles and associations in Gironde
Genealogy blogs and sites in Gironde
Accounts to follow on social media
On Facebook:
On X (ex-Twitter):
Happy researching!
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