Davidson County, Tennessee

Societies and Family History Resources ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣ County Genealogy Links

Davidson County, Tennessee Facts

When was Davidson County, TN Created?

Davidson County was founded on October 6, 1783 from Washington County, North Carolina.

What is the County Seat of Davidson County, TN?

The County Seat of government is located in Nashville also, the county government website is www.nashville.gov .

What counties are adjacent to Davidson County, TN?

Bordering counties are Robertson County, Sumner County, Williamson County, Rutherford County, Wilson County and Cheatham County .

Davidson County Courthouse and Government Records

Davidson County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Davidson County Courthouse?

The following information and facts indicates whatever birth, death, marriage, land, wills, and courtroom records will be in Davidson County or in the Tennessee State Library & Archives. The dates indicated below could be the first widely known documents for this county.

• Davidson County Clerk
  • Address: 700 2nd Ave South, Suite 101, P.O. Box 196333, Nashville, TN 37210
  • Phone: 615 862-6050
  • Marriage Records: 1784
  • Probate Records: 1784
• Davidson County Register of Deeds
  • Address: P.O. Box 196398, Nashville, TN 37219
  • Phone: (615) 862-6790
  • Land & Deed Records: 1784
• Davidson County Clerk of Circuit Court
  • Address: P.O. Box 196303, 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville, TN 37201
  • Phone: 615-862-5181
  • Chancery Court Minutes: 1846
  • Circuit Court Minutes: 1803
  • County  Court Minutes: 1783

Where can find Davidson County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?

Davidson County vital records can be found at the Tennessee Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records which has copies for copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses and divorce decrees. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Tennessee for current fees and application process.

Marriage license records are available from the county clerk who issued the marriage license. Court divorce orders may be obtained from the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.

You can search online for Davidson County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Tennessee Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificates to mail.

What Davidson County, TN census records are available?

Federal Population Schedules for Davidson County can be found for 1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Davidson Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Davidson Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Davidson Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. The Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. One can find free online and printable census forms to help you with your research.

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Davidson County, TN?

• Metropolitan Government Archives, 3801 Green Hills Village Drive, Nashville, TN 37215; (615) 862-5880, Fax: (615) 862-5883; Metropolitan Government Archives has the following records, these are no longer located in the courthouse: Births records 1881-1913, Death records 1874-1913, Marriage records 1789-1991; Deed records 1784-1901, Probate records 1784-1959, Court Records 1783-1970
• Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville,3000 Granny White Pike, Nashville, TN 37204 615-862-7970
• The Public Library of Nashville and Davidson County- The Ben West Library, 225 Polk Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203; Phone: (615) 862-5783; Hours: Mon. -Sat. 8:00-5:00, Sun. (Oct-May) 2:00 – 5:00
• Nashville Historical Newsletter, 2707 Lakeland Drive, Nashville, TN 37214
• The Tennessee Historical Society, War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243-0084, 615/741-8934
• Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society, PO Box 190625, Nashville, TN 37219-0625; (615) 297-3085
• Aquinas College Library, 4210 Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37205 615-297-7545, ext. 5
• Belle Meade Plantation, 5025 Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37205 615-356-0501
• Belmont University, Lila D. Bunch Library, Belmont Special Collections, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212 615-460-6782
• Meharry Medical College Archives, (Meharry Medical College Library), 1005 D. B. Todd Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37208 615-327-6728
• Saint Thomas Hospital, Julius Jacobs Health Sciences Library, 4220 Harding Road, PO Box 380, Nashville, TN 37205 615-222-3853
• Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum, 636 Farrell Parkway, Nashville, TN 37220 615-832-8197
• American Baptist College, T.L. Holcomb Library, 1800 Baptist World Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37207 615-687-6904
• Diocese of Nashville Archives, The Catholic Center, 2400 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6393
• Free Will Baptist Bible College, Welch Library. Free Will Baptist Historical Collection, 3606 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37205 615-383-1340
• Gospel Advocate Archives & Library, 1006 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210 615-254-8781
•  Lifeway Christian Resources, E. C. Dargan Research Library, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234 615-251-2751
•  Tennessee Conference Commission on Archives and History, United Methodist Church, 520 Commerce Street #205, Nashville, TN 37203 615-263-0518
• Trevecca Nazarene University, Waggoner Library, Trevecca Archives, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37210 615-248-1214
• United Methodist Church, The Upper Room Devotional Library, 1908 Grand Avenue, PO Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37203 615-340-7204

Davidson County Genealogy Resources

Where can I connect with other Davidson County, TN Researchers through message boards and forums?

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• Tennessee Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
• Tennessee State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Davidson County, Tennessee Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Davidson County
• Davidson County, Tennessee Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• Genealogical “Fact Sheets” About Davidson County (tn.gov) The purpose of these fact sheets is to help determine what sources are available for genealogical research about the people and places in Davidson County. Although this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the possible places one might search, it does cover the major publications and microfilms available at TSLA on the Davidson County.

What other genealogical resources are available in Davidson County, TN?

The following are links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Davidson County. A majority of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some call for a payment. This is merely a collection which has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to suggest your own most popular Davidson County genealogy or family history affiliated sites.

Davidson Co. TN Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Tennessee Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Tennessee historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 – 1929 ) (genealogybank.com) Rapidly find names and key phrases in over 450 million content articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements as well as other items written in over 2,800 old U.S. newspapers. Brand new articles and other content added every month!
• Tennessee Newspaper List by County and City (.state.tn.us)
• Davidson County, Tennessee Books (amazon.com)
• Search Tennessee Obituaries (1990 to current) (genealogybank.com)

Davidson Co. TN Birth, Marriage & Death Records

• Tennessee Vital Records Research Guide
• Order Hard Copies of Vital Records  (archives.com)
• Social Security Death Index (search.ancestry.com)

Davidson Co. TN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

• Tennessee Real Estate Assessment Data Property Search (assessment.state.tn.us)
• Davidson County Records on Microfilm (tennessee.gov) – Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels
• Early Davidson County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan (tennessee.gov)
• BLM Land Records (glorecords.blm.gov)

Davidson Co. TN Census Records

• Tennessee Census Records Research Guide
• Davidson County, TN Census Records Links
• Davidson County, TN Census QuickFacts

Davidson Co. TN Cemeteries & Church Records

• Davidson Co., Tennessee Graves (findagrave.com)
• Davidson County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Davidson Co., Tennessee Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Davidson Co., Tennessee Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Davidson County, Tennessee Church Books (amazon.com)

Davidson Co. TN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• 1911 Who’s Who in Tennessee: A Biographical Reference Book of Notable Tennesseans – (tngenweb.org)
• Nichols and Related Families (nicholsgenealogy.com)

Davidson Co. TN General and History Websites

• Davidson County Tennessee (genealogytrails.com)
• Davidson County History and Culture (tennesseeencyclopedia.net)
• Davidson County, Tennessee Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Davidson County, Tennessee Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Davidson Co. TN Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Davidson County – American History and Genealogy Project (usgennet.org)
• Davidson County, Tennessee (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Tennessee – Counties – Davidson (cyndislist.com)
• Davidson Co. TNGenweb (sites.google.com)
• Davidson County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Davidson Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Davidson Co. TN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Tennessee Links and Information
• Davidson Co. D.O.T. County Highway Map
• 1895 Davidson County Map (livgenmi.com)

Davidson Co. TN Military Records

• Tennessee Military Records Research Guide
• Tennessee Military Records (Fold3.com) delivers access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Tennessee both women and men that served. Great for Davidson County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.