Research Your Genealogy
Archives Records Pertaining to Genealogy
Birth Records
Metro Archives holds birth records from the City of Nashville from 1881–1913 and Davidson County from 1908–1912.
Death Records
Metro Archives holds death records from the City of Nashville from 1874–1913 and Davidson County from 1900–1912.
Marriage Records
Metro Archives holds Nashville and Davidson County marriage records spanning from 1788–2017. There are three indexes online which cover different time periods and are organized either by date or alphabetically by last name of the groom or bride.
Wills
Wills, inventories, and other probate records are valuable resources for genealogy research. These documents can supply information about the lives of their creators and identify family members.
Nashville City Directories, 1853-2011
Metro Archives holds city directories from 1853–2011. From 1853–1909, city directories can be searched by name only. Beginning in 1910, city directories can be searched by name and by street address. City directories before 1963 did not cover the entire county but did extend beyond the official city limits.
Visit Metro Archives to view city directories.
Court Records
Metro Archives holds the minute books and some loose court records for the following courts in Davidson County: County, Chancery, Circuit, Quarterly, and Criminal. These records hold important information pertaining to genealogy and property research. Visit Metro Archives to view these records.
View Court Records Finding Aids
Cemetery Records
Metro Archives holds cemetery records, including those of the Nashville City Cemetery, Mt. Olivet, Mount Ararat, and research files from the Davidson County Cemetery Survey.
View Cemetery Records Finding Aids
Naturalization Records
Metro Archives holds Naturalization Records for Davidson County from 1904–1906. These records provide documentation of when individuals born outside the U.S. became American citizens, and provide valuable information for genealogy research.
View Naturalization Records Finding Aids
Military Discharges
The Metro Archives holds several collections pertaining to Nashville's military history, including military discharge records, artifacts, and manuscript collections.
View Military Discharge Finding Aids
African American History
County Court Records
African-American Marriages Index, 1789-1905
Mt. Ararat Cemetery Records, 1881-1889
Mount Ararat Cemetery was the first African-American cemetery in Middle Tennessee. Official internment records were lost, but the Davidson County Cemetery Survey compiled a partial list of individuals buried at Mount Ararat.
- Cemetery Records by Name, A–D (pdf)
- Cemetery Records by Name, E–I (pdf)
- Cemetery Records by Name, J–M (pdf)
- Cemetery Records by Name, N–S (pdf)
- Cemetery Records by Name, T–Z (pdf)
Nashville Globe Obituaries, 1907-1918
The Nashville Globe was a black-owned newspaper in Nashville published from 1906–1960.
Nashville Globe Obituaries, 1907-1918 (pdf)
Nashville Slave and Free People of Color Database
Information regarding the movements of enslaved African-Americans in Nashville before Emancipation, based on records found in Davidson County will books from 1780 to 1865.
Nashville Slave and Free People of Color Database