Grow your family tree with millions of Norfolk records online

Does your family story start in Norfolk? Delve into Norfolk archives available online at Findmypast to uncover forgotten family history. Your incredible journey of discovery begins with your family tree.

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A brief look at Norfolk’s history

Norfolk is first mentioned in records, including the Domesday Book, from the early 11th century. By then, Norfolk was one of most populated and wealthiest regions in England. Norwich is the county’s only city. Other urban areas include King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

The region has been intensively farmed over the centuries. Norwich was an international port and cosmopolitan city by the Middle Ages, possibly because of its proximity to the Netherlands. This perhaps explains why the region was so heavily influenced by Dutch design and architecture. Dutch migrants also brought valuable skills and knowledge that helped Norfolk prosper, such as printing and weaving. These new arrivals also brought pet canaries, giving Norwich City Football Club its nickname today.

Norfolk is famous for its unique dialect, 125 miles of navigable waterways known as the Broads, Cromer Crab and being the long-time home of Colman’s mustard.

Are you tracing ancestors from Norfolk, the Netherlands or both?

Most of the buildings on Norwich’s historic Elm Hill date to medieval times.

Local Norfolk archives reveal your family’s past

Which documents hold secrets for your Norfolk family tree? Our vast collection of essential and exclusive family records helps you paint a colourful picture of your past.

Norfolk family history: Collage of life in the 1920s

What was Norwich like in the 1920s?

Only available online at Findmypast, the 1921 Census of England and Wales offers a pivotal snapshot of post-war Norfolk. Find out where your relatives were, who they were with and what they were doing one summer night a century ago.

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The #1 site for Norfolk family history

“I do a lot of Norfolk family research and Findmypast has the county’s parish registers complete with original images. I also love exploring Findmypast’s newspapers. It is an all-round excellent family history website.”

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Explore millions of old Norfolk newspaper pages online

Was your relation notorious in Norwich or loved in Lynn? Discover more than you might expect in centuries-old Norfolk newspapers, now digitised and searchable online.

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Trace ancestors anywhere in England

If your relatives roamed further afield than Norfolk, they could turn up in another county, city, town or village in England. Track their movements and stories in our extensive collection of nationwide records.

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