The 1950 Census was released one year ago this month! We hope you’ve had a chance to search the 1950 Census and learn more about your family history and life in the United States in 1950.
Visit our dedicated 1950 Census website for full access to 1950 Census images, including digitized population schedules for U.S. states and territories, enumeration district maps, and enumeration district descriptions.
As you browse through census population schedules, be sure to check out the enumerator’s notes. Some notes may provide interesting details and contextual information about the enumeration district, the dwelling units, or the enumerator’s interactions with individuals.
Here are a few examples of what you can expect to find in the notes:
“1) This is estimated age. Father not available; estimate made by wife.
2) "Maxiner" is legal name of divorced daughter; however, she uses maiden name of "Fabian" (even for income tax purposes)
3) Name of birthplace doubtful. Wife states she was born in "Austria-Hungary." Was vague about location but gave name of town as she remembered it. "Vel-ke-scher-ish" is phonetic spelling.”
Did you know you can transcribe names in the 1950 Census? Use the built-in transcription feature on the website to add names to the name index. You can help make the 1950 Census more searchable for everyone.
Since the 1950 Census website launched one year ago, our Citizen Archivists have transcribed more than 2.8 million names! Can you help us get to 3 million names before the end of this month? Every name you transcribe helps improve the accuracy of the name index and makes the records more searchable on the site.
While you can transcribe any name or any page within the 1950 Census, visit our 1950 Census transcription project web page to learn more about specific enumeration districts or areas where we could use help transcribing.
Who will you find in the 1950 Census? While searching for our own relatives and family members, we enjoy searching for celebrities or notable individuals in 1950.
Smokey Robinson: Michigan, Detroit, Wayne County, ED 85-231, P. 17
Spring has sprung in the Washington, DC area! We hope you are enjoying the fresh air and spring blooms. No matter where you are, please enjoy a selection of fresh spring images from the National Archives Catalog:
Did you have a question about the 1950 Census? There’s a good chance someone on History Hub did as well! Check out History Hub’s Census Records Community for answers to a variety of 1950 Census questions including:
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