Genealogy in Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64): complete guide
Genealogy crib sheet - We share useful links to find your ancestors in Pyrénées-Atlantiques: archives, history, association websites...
©️Wikimedia - Claude Villetaneuse
Updated: February 25, 2025
The Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France, was created in 1790. Originally called Basses-Pyrénées, it took its current name in 1969.
This territory of over 7600 km2 is composed of Béarn, three Basque provinces (Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule), as well as the Gascon lands of Bayonne and Bidache. It is bordered by the departments of Landes, the Gers and the Hautes-Pyrénées. The department shares a border with Spain to the south and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean - forming the famous Basque coast.
The history of Pyrénées-Atlantiques is rich and complex, marked by the coexistence of two strong identities: Béarn and the Basque Country.
The cultural, linguistic, and historical diversity of Pyrénées-Atlantiques makes it a fascinating research ground for genealogists. For practical purposes, keep these dictionaries to navigate the archives:
📜 Archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Departmental archives of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Visiting the departmental archives:
📍 Boulevard Tourasse, 64000 Pau
Contacting the departmental archives:
📞 05 59 84 97 60
📧 contact@cg64.fr
Consulting the departmental archives website:
🔗 Link to the archives website
Browse the digitized records to find your ancestors:
Online records
Unusual records
🌍 Migrations in Pyrénées-Atlantiques
- 16th-17th centuries : Bigourdans cross the Pyrenees to go to Spain, generally temporarily.
- 18th century : Rural Bigourdans and Haut-Pyrénées people move to Bordeaux, first step of an exodus to the islands of Santo Domingo, Martinique or Guadeloupe.
- 19th century : Following the agricultural crisis of 1847, the closure of several mines, unemployment and poverty push the inhabitants of the department to leave for new lands. Between 1832 and 1913, it is estimated that at least 25,000 people left the department of Hautes-Pyrénées for America (Argentina, Uruguay, Louisiana) and North Africa (Algeria).
From 1856 to 1913, about 15,000 people from Soule, Basse-Navarre, Béarn, and Navarre migrate to Argentina. This migration tradition is partly linked to the inheritance law, the right of primogeniture, very widespread in the region.
- Late 19th - early 20th century : Pyrénées-Atlantiques (then Basses-Pyrénées) rank first among French departments for the number of emigrants to America.
Between 1857 and 1864, more than 200,000 Basques settle in the Argentine Pampa.
- 1937-1939 : The Spanish Civil War causes several waves of Spanish Republican refugees to leave for France, crossing the Pyrenees. The city of Hendaye (and the SNCF station), national road 10, and the Pyrenees border are important witnesses to this immigration. In the 1930s, a refugee camp was opened in Gurs. It was later, during the war, transformed into an internment camp for foreigners, Jews, resistors, and German prisoners of war.
- 1936-1945 : A wave of mainly political emigration occurs following the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
- 1950s-1970s : Basque emigration to Argentina begins to decrease. Significant Portuguese immigration develops in the region. The department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques becomes a welcoming land for many Portuguese fleeing Salazar's dictatorship.
For more information:
📷 The Pyrénées-Atlantiques in images
The videos
The images and old postcards
The old maps of the department
📆 History of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
On Gallica: the books, the press and the manuscripts to learn everything about the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
🗺️ Genealogy Sites in Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Genealogy Circles and Associations in Pyrénées-Atlantiques or nearby
Genealogy Blogs about Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Social Media Accounts to Follow
Happy researching!
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