Can’t-Miss Swedish Genealogy Websites

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Computer monitor on desk showing Swedish flag on screen

Find your Swedish ancestors with these top resources.

1. FamilySearch

The free FamilySearch site has millions of Swedish vital records from church books along with nearly 47 million searchable records from household examination books (1880 to 1930—in effect, annual censuses). Not long ago, such records could only be painstakingly browsed on microfilm.

2. Ancestry.com

The subscription site Ancestry.com has searchable church vital records (by county), some clerical surveys (1880 to 1896), and several essential emigration resources.

3. MyHeritage

MyHeritage, also by subscription, has 158 million household examination records, church vital records, and several Stockholm-specific collections.

4. Riksarkivet (SVAR)

In Sweden, the Riksarkivet national archives (SVAR) has digitized church records as well as military and other less-common records. Its census database, compiled from household examinations, lets you search any or all years from 1860 to 1930. The site has enough English that you can get by.

5. ArkivDigital

However, the most-complete collection of Swedish records overall—in easier-to-read color, with English instructions throughout—belongs to the subscription ArkivDigital service. Search by archive (usually at the parish level) or in an ever-growing collection of indexes, including:

vital records, notably church books
emigrant records
estate inventories
muster rolls
household examination records from 1800 to 1947

Other Resources

DIS of Sweden (Datorhjälp I Släktforskning, “Data Assistance for Genealogists”): Society founded in 1980 that helps Sweden-based genealogists take advantage of tech tools
FamilySearch Research Wiki: Sweden: Links to subpages on various records and topics, plus links to online collections at FamilySearch and elsewhere
Lantmäteriet: This site from a Swedish regional geographic authority can help you unpuzzle place names and border changes
Minnesota Historical Society: Swedish American Newspapers: Database of 300,000 pages, digitized in partnership with the National Library of Sweden
The People’s Dictionary: Swedish-English dictionary previously based on a publication by the Swedish Language Council
Roam Your Roots: Collection of how-to articles and videos from ancestral-travel enthusiast Lisa
Rötter/Swedish Roots: English-language site sponsored by the Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies, with select how-to resources from the full Swedish-language version
Släkdata: Database of church records hosted by Föreningen Släktdata (the Genealogy Association), with a helpful blog
Swedish-American Heritage Society: Publisher of books and periodicals about Swedish history, heritage and genealogy
The Swedish Genealogy Guide: Utah-based researcher shares research finds and tips
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center: Facility in Illinois with a host of genealogical resources, including how-to guides, digitized church records, professional researchers, and the journal Swedish American Genealogist
Umeå University Parish Register Databases: Includes parish registers and “Familia,” formerly known as INDIKO