Historical Overview

Founded on August 17, 1773, Cayey, known as the 'Ciudad de las Brumas' (City of the Mists), was established when residents of Coamo's vast highland territory petitioned for their own parish and municipal administration. Perched in the Central Mountain Range, it served as a vital crossroads between the southern coast and the northern plains, and its parish, Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, has preserved records since 1774. Cayey later served as the mother town for Cidra (1809), and its records are the primary research hub for families tracing central-southern mountain lineages back to the 18th century.

Coat of Arms

The shield features green mountains representing the Central Mountain Range and the town's high elevation; red roses honoring the patroness Nuestra Señora de la Asunción; a lamb symbolizing ties to the broader Christian heritage of the island; green for the fertile misty lands and gold for its historical richness.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Cayey has 21 barrios:

• Beatriz
• Cayey Pueblo
• Cedro
• Cercadillo
• Culebras Alto
• Culebras Bajo
• Farallón
• Guavate
• Jájome Alto
• Jájome Bajo
• Matón Abajo
• Matón Arriba
• Monte Llano
• Pasto Viejo
• Pedro Avila
• Piedras
• Quebrada Arriba
• Rincón
• Sumido
• Toíta
• Vegas

Daughter Municipalities

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

• Cidra (founded 1809) — Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Neighboring Municipalities

Also check records in neighboring municipalities:

• Aibonito — San José
• Caguas — Dulce Nombre de Jesús
• Cidra — Nuestra Señora del Carmen
• Guayama — San Antonio de Padua
• Patillas — San Benito Abad
• Salinas — Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate
• San Lorenzo — Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

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.

Cayey (2026)

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

Genealogy Toolkit

Civil Records

Began in 1885

Covers births, marriages, and deaths.

⬇ Search Civil Records

Parish Records

Parish: Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

Records from 1774

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Digital Archives

• FamilySearch: Cayey Civil and parish records
• FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide

Further Reading

• U.S. Census Bureau: Cayey Municipio Profile — U.S. Census Bureau Census Data Authoritative 2020 Census profile for Cayey, including official barrio list, population data, and geographic boundary information.
• Notas para su Historia: Cayey — Mario A. Rodríguez León, O.P. Local History Essential historical text for Cayey covering the founding families and social development of the town, tracing the formation of the Hato de Cayey as it separated from Coamo's jurisdiction in 1773.
• ADNPR: Archivo Digital Nacional de Puerto Rico — ADNPR Digital Archive Digital repository for 19th-century municipal documents, tax records, and property maps for the Cayey district; most reliable current source for pre-civil-registration administrative records.
• Find A Grave: Cayey — Find A Grave Cemetery Records Burial records for the Cementerio Municipal de Cayey and local burial sites; useful for verifying death dates and family plots from the 19th and early 20th centuries.