Historical Overview

Barceloneta, founded on July 1, 1881, by Bonocio Llenza Feliú, an immigrant from Barcelona, Spain, was carved from territory belonging to Manatí and briefly reannexed to it around 1900 before being restored as an independent municipality in 1911. The parish records of Nuestra Señora del Carmen are not yet fully indexed online, making civil registration from 1885 the most accessible source for most genealogical research. For events before 1885, researchers should contact the parish archive or the Archdiocese of San Juan directly.

Coat of Arms

Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The coat of arms is quartered in cross on a silver field, with a red cross and divisions containing two red poles with three guajana flowers in silver. The design honors the Catalan heritage of founder Bonocio Llenza Feliú and alludes to the town's name and its agricultural identity. Barceloneta is known as both La Ciudad de las Piñas (City of Pineapples) and Ciudad Industrial (Industrial City), identities reflected in the escudo's symbolism.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Barceloneta has 4 barrios:

Barceloneta barrio-pueblo
Cibuco
Palmas
Tierras Nuevas Saliente

Daughter Municipalities

The following municipalities separated from Barceloneta. Residents recorded events before their founding year in Barceloneta's parish:

Florida (founded 1971) — Nuestra Señora de la Merced

Neighboring Municipalities

Also check records in neighboring municipalities:

Historical Maps

Historical maps help identify barrios, boundaries, and communities as they existed in the past. Maps from the 18th and 19th centuries are preferred.

Barceloneta (2026)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line Shapefiles

Genealogy Toolkit

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Civil Records

Began in 1885

Covers births, marriages, and deaths.

⬇ Search Civil Records

Parish Records

Parish: Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Records from 1881

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Diocesan Archive

Diocese: Diocese of Arecibo

For sacramental records not available digitally, contact the diocesan archive directly.

Diocese Website

Digital Archives

FamilySearch: Barceloneta Civil and parish records
Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645–2021 Digitized Records Islandwide Catholic church-record collection. Note: Barceloneta parish records (Nuestra Señora del Carmen) are not yet fully indexed online; contact the parish or Archdiocese of San Juan for pre-1885 sacramental records.
Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 Digitized Records Civil registration births, marriages, and deaths for all Puerto Rico municipalities including Barceloneta, beginning 1885. This is the primary online source for most Barceloneta genealogical research.
Cementerio Municipal Viejo de Barceloneta — Find a Grave Cemetery Index Index for the older municipal cemetery of Barceloneta. Useful for verifying death dates and burial information for earlier generations.
Cementerio Municipal Nuevo de Barceloneta — Find a Grave Cemetery Index Index for the newer municipal cemetery of Barceloneta. Useful for verifying death dates and burial information for more recent generations.
FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide