Howard County Maryland Genealogy and History

Formed: in 1838 from Anne Arundel County.

Named After: John Eager Howard, a governor of Maryland.

County Seat: Ellicott City

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Search Free Howard County, Maryland Genealogy and Family History Records Online including census, cemetery, vital, military and other genealogical and historical records that can be used for your family history research.

Howard County, Maryland genealogy and family history page is a place where you can come in and research your genealogy and family history. We also do our best to provide a history of the area, to provide you with an overview of the time in which your ancestors lived.

We regret that we are unable to do personal research for you. All genealogical and family history records we come across are being added to this website. Please keep checking back.

Howard County Communities

Census-designated places: Columbia, Elkridge, Ellicott City (county seat), Fulton, Highland, Ilchester, Jessup (partly in Anne Arundel County), Lisbon, North Laurel, Savage, Scaggsville.

Unincorporated communities: Clarksville, Cooksville, Daniels, Dayton, Dorsey, Glenelg, Glenwood, Granite, Guilford, Hanover (partly in Anne Arundel County), Isaacsville, Marriottsville (partly in Carroll County and Baltimore County), Simpsonville, West Friendship, Woodbine, Woodstock.

Howard County Genealogy Records Available

• Births & Deaths: State registration began in 1898, with general compliance by 1914. Early records are at the Maryland State Archives.
• Marriages: County marriage licenses date from 1840 and are searchable via state archives.
• Church Books: Historic Quaker, Methodist, and Catholic records provide pre-1850 family links.
• Federal Census Records: Available from 1840 (the first census after county creation) through 1950.
• Tax Assessments: 19th-century assessment books show property ownership and local resident names.
• Land Records: Include deeds and Land conveyance records starting in 1839 at the Howard County Circuit Court.
• Wills & Probate Records: Probate files date from 1838 and list heirs, guardians, and estate inventories.

Our Free Howard County Maryland Genealogy Records Online

Genealogical Research in Howard County, Maryland

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Adjacent counties

• Anne Arundel County (southeast)
• Baltimore County (northeast)
• Carroll County (north)
• Montgomery County (southwest)
• Prince George's County (south)