According to FamilySearch Romania Census; and also FamilySearch Hungary Census, Austro-Hungarian censuses for Transylvania, Banat and Bukovina were taken in 1785, 1805, 1828, 1857, 1869, 1880, 1890, 1900, and 1910. Romania has conducted a census in each of the following years: 1912 (Wallachia, Moldavia and Dobrogea only), 1930 (includes Moldova and Bukovina), 1941, 1956, and 1966.

The National Institute of Statistics of Romania reports that a census was taken in 1859-1860, 1899, 1912 and in later years. However, we are not aware of accessible census records except the 1828 Hungarian Property Tax Census. The Census was created by the Hungarian Government and the original records reside in the National Archives of Hungary. The entire Census has been digitzed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and is accessible online. They may be found as Place (Hungary); Topic (Hungary-Census); Title (Vagyonösszeirás, 1828). It is arranged by county (so you will need to determine in which Hungarian county your ancestor lived) and within each county the records are arranged in alphabetical order by village.

Romanian Civil Registration

Civil registration (starea civilă) are records of births, marriages and deaths created by civil government. Civil registration was introduced into Romania (Wallachia and Moldavia) by official decree in 1865. The Hungarian provinces of began in 1895. In Bukovina, Bessarabia and Dobruja civil registration was not introduced until 1919. Records are located in civil registration offices (oficiile stării civile; look for primaria) in each city or town which maintain records for about the past one hundred years. [Older records are sent to the Regional Archives of the Romanian National Archives.]

Romanian Church Records

Church records (registre parohiale) of baptisms, marriages and funerals began in the 17th and 18th centuries in most of present-day Romania. Local parishes maintain these records for approximately the past 100 years. Older records are transferred to the 41 local county (judet) branches of the Romanian National Archives and one in Bucharest. To obtain a copy of a church record that is over 100 years old, you may write (in Romanian) to the parish priest, or request a copy from the National Archives of Romania.

It will be helpful if you are able to determine the family’s religion. Here are a few you may find. You may also find these abbreviated in other ways.

• Romanian Orthodox, RO
• Greek Orthodox, GC
• Roman Catholic, RC
• Calvinist, CALV
• Lutheran Church, LC
• Unitarian Church, UNTN
• Pentecostal, PC
• Baptist Church, BAPT
• Seventh Day Advent, SDA