Historical Overview

Las Marías, founded in 1871 from territory belonging to Mayagüez, is a mountainous municipality in western Puerto Rico named for the indigenous María tree. Its Catholic parish holds records from 1842, making it one of the earlier record sets in the western region and a key resource for tracing families in the highland barrios. The community's identity was shaped by coffee cultivation and by the Grito de Lares uprising of 1868, both commemorated in the municipal coat of arms.

Coat of Arms

Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The coat of arms centers on the María tree, the town's namesake and a canting symbol for the municipality, with coffee branches on either side reflecting the agricultural heritage that shaped the community. A monogram and crown of Nuestra Señora la Santísima Virgen de Plata appears within the shield, while a broken chain in the bordure references the Grito de Lares uprising of 1868 against Spanish rule. A three-tower crown above the shield marks Las Marías as a municipality.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Las Marías has 16 barrios:

Alto Sano
Anones
Bucarabones
Buena Vista
Cerrote
Chamorro
Espino
Furnias
Las Marías barrio-pueblo
Maravilla Este
Maravilla Norte
Maravilla Sur
Naranjales
Palma Escrita
Purísima Concepción
Río Cañas

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.

Las Marías (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 de la Monserrate

Records from 1842

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Diocesan Archive

Diocese: Diocese of Mayagüez

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

Diocese Website

Digital Archives

FamilySearch: Las Marías Civil and parish records
Registros parroquiales de Las Marías, 1842–1940 Digitized Records Direct FamilySearch catalog entry for Las Marías parish registers (Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate); browse-available image set covering baptisms, marriages, and burials.
Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645–2021 Digitized Records Islandwide Catholic church-record collection including baptisms, marriages, burials, and confirmations. Includes Las Marías parish records.
Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 Digitized Records Civil registration births, marriages, and deaths for all Puerto Rico municipalities including Las Marías, beginning 1885.
Cementerio Municipal Las Marías — Find a Grave Cemetery Index Index for the main municipal cemetery of Las Marías. Useful for verifying death dates and burial information.
FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide