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Puerto Rican Genealogy Conectando Raíces, Celebrando Herencia

Carolina

Founded 1816 Metro, Puerto Rico

Historical Overview

Carolina was established as an independent municipality in 1816 as Trujillo Bajo, separating from Trujillo Alto, and officially renamed San Fernando de la Carolina on January 31, 1857; the new name honored Doña Carolina Martínez de Andino, daughter of the owner of the Hoyo Mulas estate where the new town center was founded. The first mayor, Lorenzo de Vizcarrondo y Ortiz de Zárate, came from a founding family whose influence shaped early civic and political life; his brother Andrés Salvador de Vizcarrondo led a failed separatist uprising in 1838 proposing union with Simón Bolívar's Gran Colombia, an event commemorated by the red in the municipal coat of arms. Known by the nicknames 'Tierra de Gigantes' and 'Los Tumba Brazos,' Carolina evolved from a sugar cane economy to one of Puerto Rico's most industrialized and populous municipalities; the Archivo y Centro de Investigación Histórica serves as the key local genealogical research repository. For genealogists, San Fernando parish records date to 1816 and civil registration from 1885; researchers tracing Carolina families before 1816 should search Trujillo Alto parish registers.

Coat of Arms

Coat of arms of Carolina, Puerto Rico

Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The coat of arms features a red field, the color chosen to commemorate the 1838 separatist uprising led by Andrés Salvador de Vizcarrondo, brother of Carolina's founding mayor, who proposed that Puerto Rico join Simón Bolívar's Gran Colombia; the uprising was suppressed by Spanish authorities.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Carolina has 19 barrios:

  • Barrazas
  • Cacao Alto
  • Cacao Bajo
  • Cangrejo Arriba
  • Carolina Pueblo
  • Carruzo
  • Cedro Abajo
  • Cedro Arriba
  • Ceiba
  • Hoyo Mulas
  • Jacaboa
  • Los Colobos Urbanos
  • Mameyal
  • Martín González
  • Quebrada Arenas
  • Quebrada Barro
  • Sabana Abajo
  • Torrecilla Alta
  • Torrecilla Baja

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.

Carolina

Carolina (2026)

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

Municipal subdivisions, barrios, and places in Carolina, Canóvanas, Loíza, Río Grande, San Juan, and Trujillo Alto. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census of Population and Housing. Public domain.

Municipal subdivisions, barrios, and places in Carolina, Canóvanas, Loíza, Río Grande, San Juan, and Trujillo Alto. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census of Population and Housing. Public domain. (2010)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau / Wikimedia Commons

Genealogy Toolkit

Civil Records

Began in 1885

Covers births, marriages, and deaths.

⬇ Search Civil Records

Parish Records

Parish: San Fernando

Records from 1816

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Diocesan Archive

Diocese: Archdiocese of San Juan

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

Diocese Website

Digital Archives

Further Reading

  • U.S. Census Bureau: Carolina Municipio Profile — U.S. Census Bureau Census Data Authoritative 2020 Census profile for Carolina, including official barrio list, population data, and geographic boundary information.
  • Carolina, Puerto Rico Genealogy — FamilySearch Wiki contributors Research Guide FamilySearch Wiki research guide for Carolina, covering available record types, repositories, and historical background.
  • Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645-2021 — FamilySearch Collection The FamilySearch collection of Puerto Rico Catholic church records, including Carolina parish registers covering baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials.
  • Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records — FamilySearch Historical Records — FamilySearch Research Guide FamilySearch overview of Catholic registers for Puerto Rico, explaining record types, coverage dates, and how to access digitized images.
  • Municipio de Carolina — Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico — Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades Historical Reference Authoritative encyclopedia entry covering Carolina's founding, geography, economy, notable persons (including Julia de Burgos, Roberto Clemente, and Jesús T. Piñero), and the origin of its nicknames 'Tierra de Gigantes' and 'Los Tumba Brazos.'
  • Historia de Carolina — Municipio Autónomo de Carolina — Municipio Autónomo de Carolina Municipal History Official municipal government history page detailing the January 31, 1857 founding, the origin of the Carolina name from Doña Carolina Martínez de Andino, the first municipal government led by Alcalde Lorenzo Vizcarrondo Ortiz de Zárate, and the Vizcarrondo family's roots in Zugarramundi, Navarra, Spain.
  • Historia de Carolina — Carolina787 — Carolina787 Historical Reference Local history resource covering Carolina's founding as San Fernando de la Carolina, the governor at the time (Fernando de Costoñer), the municipality's patron saint (San Fernando, feast day May 30), and its December 30, 1992 municipal autonomy designation under the 1991 Autonomous Municipalities Law.

GenealogíaPR.com Transcriptions

The following links connect to free church record transcription resources available through GenealogíaPR.com, the website of the Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía. These valuable resources were created and shared through the dedicated work of Sociedad members.

If these transcriptions help advance your Puerto Rican genealogy research, please consider supporting this important work by becoming a member of the Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía: Join here.

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