Camuy
Historical Overview
Camuy was founded in 1807 when local settlers petitioned to separate from Arecibo and establish an independent civil and religious administration along the fertile northern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. The municipality's patron saint is San José, and the parish of the same name has served as the center of religious and civic life since the town's earliest years. Camuy is best known today for the Río Camuy Cave Park, one of the largest cave systems in the Western Hemisphere, whose river gives the town its name. For genealogical research, Camuy's records span Catholic parish registers from at least 1836, civil registration beginning in 1885, and census materials documenting the families of this historically agricultural community.
Coat of Arms
Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The coat of arms features a green field crossed by a silver wavy band with a broken center, topped by a Taíno sun in gold and black. The green represents the fertile lands of the northern coastal plain; the silver wavy band represents the Río Camuy; and the Taíno sun, rendered in gold and black, represents the town's name, interpreted from the Taíno word for 'sun.'
Barrios
Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Camuy has 13 barrios:
Daughter Municipalities
The following municipalities separated from Camuy. Residents recorded events before their founding year in Camuy's parish:
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.
Camuy (2026)
Genealogy Toolkit
Diocesan Archive
Diocese: Diocese of Arecibo
For sacramental records not available digitally, contact the diocesan archive directly.
Diocese WebsiteDigital Archives
- FamilySearch: Camuy Civil and parish records
- Camuy Church Records 1836–1849 — Hijos de Coamo PR Church Records Index Indexed baptismal, marriage, and burial records for Camuy from 1836 to 1849, compiled by Hijos de Coamo PR. One of the earliest verified record sets for the parish.
- Civil Registry (Registros civiles, 1836–1994) — FamilySearch Catalog Civil Records FamilySearch Catalog entry for Camuy civil registers, including births, marriages, deaths, and indexes spanning 1836–1994.
- Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645–1969 — FamilySearch Church Records Island-wide FamilySearch collection for Puerto Rico Catholic church registers, including baptisms, marriages, and burials. The most comprehensive digitized church-record collection covering Camuy.
- Find a Grave: Camuy Memorial Park Cemetery Records Cemetery memorial page for Camuy Memorial Park, with burial listings, family links, and plot location information.
- Find a Grave: Cemeteries in Camuy Municipality Cemetery Records Browse page for all Find a Grave–listed cemeteries in the Camuy municipality.
- Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 Digitized Records Civil registration births, marriages, and deaths for all Puerto Rico municipalities including Camuy, beginning 1885.
- FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide
Padrones and Municipal Censuses
The following image groups were created by the Gobierno de Puerto Rico and digitized by FamilySearch. They are not name-indexed, so you browse them like a book. A free FamilySearch account is required. To learn how to read and work through them, see Padrones and the Image Search, or scan the island-wide set in the Padrones Browser.
Padrón de Jornaleros (day-laborer register) (4)
Registers of landless day laborers compelled to carry a libreta under the Régimen de la Libreta, 1849 to 1873. They name the worker, his age, his barrio, and often the hacienda that employed him.
- Padrón de Jornaleros 1857 Caja 110 · 435 images
- Padrón de Jornaleros 1860 Caja 109 · 30 images
- Padrón de Jornaleros 1863 Caja 110 · 38 images
- Padrón de Jornaleros 1888–1889 Caja 110 · 35 images
Municipal Population Census (63)
Population counts compiled by the municipal government, separate from the island-wide enumerations. Detail varies widely by municipality and year.
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 109 · 457 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 119 · 301 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 120 · 209 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 121 · 243 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 121 · 201 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 121 · 348 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 122 · 311 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 122 · 50 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 122 · 301 images
- Censo Poblacional 1800–1900 Caja 125 · 462 images
- Censo Poblacional 1805 Caja 116 · 49 images
- Censo Poblacional 1843 Caja 119 · 21 images
- Censo Poblacional 1852 Caja 116 · 15 images
- Censo Poblacional 1858 Caja 119 · 31 images
- Censo Poblacional 1859 Caja 119 · 46 images
- Censo Poblacional 1860 Caja 120 · 440 images
- Censo Poblacional 1860 Caja 120 · 360 images
- Censo Poblacional 1860 Caja 122 · 260 images
- Censo Poblacional 1862 Caja 116 · 21 images
- Censo Poblacional 1869 Caja 123 · 6 images
- Censo Poblacional 1870 Caja 109 · 55 images
- Censo Poblacional 1870–1871 Caja 123 · 126 images
- Censo Poblacional 1870 Caja 19 · 68 images
- Censo Poblacional 1871 Caja 123 · 42 images
- Censo Poblacional 1871 Caja 19 · 190 images
- Censo Poblacional 1872 Caja 123 · 44 images
- Censo Poblacional 1872 Caja 19 · 219 images
- Censo Poblacional 1873 Caja 118 · 85 images
- Censo Poblacional 1873 Caja 19 · 309 images
- Censo Poblacional 1873 Caja 20 · 415 images
- Censo Poblacional 1874 Caja 116 · 52 images
- Censo Poblacional 1874 Caja 123 · 16 images
- Censo Poblacional 1875 Caja 20 · 17 images
- Censo Poblacional 1876 Caja 20 · 39 images
- Censo Poblacional 1877 Caja 20 · 6 images
- Censo Poblacional 1879 Caja 20 · 283 images
- Censo Poblacional 1880 Caja 123 · 5 images
- Censo Poblacional 1880 Caja 21 · 30 images
- Censo Poblacional 1881 Caja 21 · 164 images
- Censo Poblacional 1882 Caja 21 · 10 images
- Censo Poblacional 1883 Caja 21 · 11 images
- Censo Poblacional 1884 Caja 21 · 85 images
- Censo Poblacional 1885 Caja 21 · 73 images
- Censo Poblacional 1886 Caja 21 · 55 images
- Censo Poblacional 1887 Caja 21 · 265 images
- Censo Poblacional 1887 Caja 22 · 161 images
- Censo Poblacional 1888 Caja 22 · 23 images
- Censo Poblacional 1889 Caja 22 · 139 images
- Censo Poblacional 1889 Caja 22 · 207 images
- Censo Poblacional 1890 Caja 109 · 59 images
- Censo Poblacional 1890 Caja 116 · 169 images
- Censo Poblacional 1890 Caja 23 · 103 images
- Censo Poblacional 1891 Caja 23 · 299 images
- Censo Poblacional 1892 Caja 23 · 38 images
- Censo Poblacional 1893 Caja 23 · 244 images
- Censo Poblacional 1893 Caja 23 · 235 images
- Censo Poblacional 1894 Caja 23 · 38 images
- Censo Poblacional 1895 Caja 23 · 49 images
- Censo Poblacional 1896 Caja 24 · 86 images
- Censo Poblacional 1897 Caja 118 · 29 images
- Censo Poblacional 1897 Caja 124 · 142 images
- Censo Poblacional 1897 Caja 24 · 380 images
- Censo Poblacional 1897 Caja 24 · 336 images
Further Reading
- U.S. Census Bureau: Camuy Municipio Profile — U.S. Census Bureau Census Data Authoritative 2020 Census profile for Camuy, including official barrio list, population data, and geographic boundary information.
- Camuy, Puerto Rico Genealogy — FamilySearch Wiki — FamilySearch Research Guide FamilySearch research guide for Camuy with links to available record sets, research tips, and guidance on contacting local repositories for pre-1876 records.
- Municipio de Camuy — EnciclopediaPR — Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades Encyclopedia Authoritative institutional article covering Camuy's founding, barrios, coat of arms symbolism, geographic boundaries, and historical context.
- CAMUY — LexJuris — LexJuris de Puerto Rico Municipal History Spanish-language municipal history profile for Camuy, including founding narrative and corroborating description of the coat of arms symbolism.
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