Historical Overview

Cataño takes its name from Hernando de Cataño, one of Puerto Rico's earliest physicians, who received a land grant across the bay from San Juan in the 16th century. The area grew around a hermitage established circa 1690 under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Toa Baja, meaning genealogists must search Bayamón and Toa Baja records for ancestors before 1893, when the independent parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen was formally established. Cataño did not become a separate municipality until 1927, when it was carved from Bayamón, making it Puerto Rico's smallest municipality by area. Parish records for the area span from 1779, giving researchers an unusually deep window into pre-civil-registration family history.

Coat of Arms

Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The coat of arms features palm trees referencing the historical name Hato de las Palmas de Cataño, blue and silver stripes representing the heraldic colors associated with Don Hernando de Cataño after whom the town is named, and a mural crown denoting municipal status.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Cataño has 2 barrios:

Cataño Pueblo
Palmas

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.

Cataño (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 1779

⬇ 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

FamilySearch: Cataño Civil and parish records
Registros parroquiales de Cataño, 1779–1942 Digitized Records Direct FamilySearch catalog entry for Cataño and Palo Seco parish registers (Nuestra Señora del Carmen); browse-available image set covering baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1779 through 1942.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1779–1862 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1779–1862. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1779–1869 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1779–1869. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1863–1889 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1863–1889. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1889–1893 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1889–1893. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1893–1899 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1893–1899. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1899–1908 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1899–1908. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1908–1917 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1908–1917. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1917–1919 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1917–1919. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1919–1925 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1919–1925. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1925–1928 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1925–1928. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1928 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1928. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Bautismos 1928–1933 Church Records Baptismal register for Cataño parish, 1928–1933. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Confirmaciones 1910–1942 Church Records Confirmation register for Cataño parish, 1910–1942. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Defunciones 1779–1845 Church Records Burial register for Cataño parish, 1779–1845. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Defunciones 1845–1877 Church Records Burial register for Cataño parish, 1845–1877. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Defunciones 1893–1902 Church Records Burial register for Cataño parish, 1893–1902. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de bautismos 1893–1907 Church Records Baptism index for Cataño parish, 1893–1907. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de bautismos 1908–1919 Church Records Baptism index for Cataño parish, 1908–1919. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de bautismos 1919–1925 Church Records Baptism index for Cataño parish, 1919–1925. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de bautismos 1919–1928 Church Records Baptism index for Cataño parish, 1919–1928. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de bautismos 1928–1933 Church Records Baptism index for Cataño parish, 1928–1933. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de defunciones 1779–1845 Church Records Burial index for Cataño parish, 1779–1845. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de matrimonios 1781–1791 Church Records Marriage index for Cataño parish, 1781–1791. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Índice de matrimonios 1893–1932 Church Records Marriage index for Cataño parish, 1893–1932. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Matrimonios 1779–1891 Church Records Marriage register for Cataño parish, 1779–1891. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Cataño — Matrimonios 1793–1931 Church Records Marriage register for Cataño parish, 1793–1931. Digitized image set on FamilySearch.
Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645–1969 Digitized Records Islandwide Catholic church-record collection including baptisms, marriages, burials, and confirmations. Includes Cataño parish records.
Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 Digitized Records Civil registration births, marriages, and deaths for all Puerto Rico municipalities including Cataño, beginning 1885.
Cataño and Palo Seco, Puerto Rico Digitized Parish Records Digitized Records Indexed parish-record project covering the Cataño and Palo Seco area, with church books spanning 1779 through 1942. Includes links to digitized images and index resources.
Cementerio Municipal de Cataño — Find a Grave Cemetery Index Index for the main municipal cemetery of Cataño. Useful for verifying death dates and burial information.
FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide