Start your Slovak ancestry search with Krtko
Slovak Ancestry Search is our free tool that helps people discover their Slovak roots. It is powered by our genealogical engine, Krtko (pronounced “Krrt-ko”) — the Slovak word for “little mole”. Just as a mole digs beneath the surface, Krtko searches through carefully curated historical records to uncover forgotten family connections and trace your ancestors’ journeys.
The beta version already includes approximately 190,000 immigrant records from various sources, with many more historical collections to come.
Try Krtko for Free →Start with the town name — the key to every Slovak record
Everything in Slovak genealogy traces back to a village. Church records, civil registrations, and many military rolls are organised by locality. Before you can find a record, you need to know what village your ancestor came from — and the name may appear in several different languages depending on the time and source.
Between 1867 and 1918, the territory of present-day Slovakia formed the northern counties of the Kingdom of Hungary. Official records used Hungarian place names. After 1918, Slovak names came into official use within Czechoslovakia. And many emigrants wrote their village in German or spelled it phonetically in English. The same village may appear as three or four completely different-looking names.
Spišská Nová Ves (Slovak) = Igló (Hungarian) = Neudorf (German)
Prešov (Slovak) = Eperjes (Hungarian) = Preschau (German)
Nitra (Slovak) = Nyitra (Hungarian) = Neutra (German)
Start by searching American documents (naturalisation papers, passenger manifests, death certificates) for any mention of a birthplace. Even a garbled spelling is useful. Then use a gazetteer to find the Slovak equivalent.
The Slovak Statistics Office village list and the FamilySearch Slovakia gazetteers guide help match English-garbled names to modern Slovak ones. The Slovak-Hungarian-German place name finder at genealogy.net is invaluable for pre-1918 Hungarian names.
Church records — the backbone of Slovak genealogy
Civil registration in the territory of present-day Slovakia began on 1 October 1895. For most Slovak families, church registers are the primary source for births (baptisms), marriages, and deaths before that date — sometimes stretching back to the 1600s and 1700s, depending on the parish. Most historical church registers are held by regional branches of the Slovak State Archives, while some later or local records may remain with registry offices or church parishes. Many records have been microfilmed or digitised.
Matrika narodených / pokrstených
Baptismal registers recorded the child’s name, birth date, parents’ names, godparents, and village. Before civil registration, this is often the closest equivalent to a birth record. Catholic, Lutheran, and Greek Catholic records each survive separately.
- LanguagePrimarily Latin until mid-1800s; increasingly Hungarian after 1844
- CoverageOften 1700s onward; varies by parish
- Held atRegional state archives; some parishes or registry offices
Matrika sobášených
Marriage registers typically list both spouses’ names, ages, fathers’ names, village of origin, and witnesses. They are invaluable for connecting a woman’s maiden name back to her birth village — a common genealogical break-point.
- Key fieldBride’s maiden name & village
- WitnessesOften relatives — worth following up
- PeriodPre-1895 church; post-1895 civil, with overlap in some parish records
Matrika zomrelých
Death registers often include age, cause of death, and parents’ or spouse’s name. Combined with the baptismal register, a death record can confirm an individual’s full lifespan within the same village.
- Key detailAge at death → approximate birth year
- Often includesSpouse’s name, parents’ names
Slovak State Archives (Slovenský národný archív)
The Slovak National Archives and the regional state archives hold many original historical church and civil registers. Local registry offices continue to maintain current civil registers, while older registers are transferred to archives after the applicable retention periods. Many historical records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch or digitised directly. For records not yet online, you can commission a search via the archives or engage a professional genealogist in Slovakia.
→ Slovak National Archives official website (sna.vs.sk) → FamilySearch guide to Slovak archives & libraries
Civil registration records (1895 onward)
From 1 October 1895, the Kingdom of Hungary introduced mandatory civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are more standardised, more legible, and often include additional detail — such as addresses, occupations, and parents’ birthplaces.
Post-1918 Czechoslovak records continued the civil registration system. Current civil registers are maintained by local Offices of Vital Records (matričné úrady), while older registers are transferred to the state archives after the applicable retention periods. Certified extracts from these registers are among the principal documents used to establish family lineage in Slovak citizenship applications.
Naturalisation petitions (United States)
For Slovak emigrants to the United States, naturalisation papers are among the most genealogically rich documents in existence. They often contain a precise village or locality of birth, birth date, physical description, occupation, and departure port — details that link the American and Slovak sides of the family directly.
“First Papers” — Declaration of Intention
Filed when an immigrant declared their intent to become a citizen. Post-1906 declarations are especially rich, often stating the exact birthplace or last foreign residence, as well as the port and date of arrival. Earlier records may be much less detailed.
- Key fieldsBirthplace village, birth date, arrival port
- YearsFrom 1790; usually most useful after 1906
- Held atNARA; state and county courts
“Second Papers” — Form N-405
Filed after the required residency period, the petition often lists the applicant’s wife, children, and their ages and birthplaces — a ready-made family snapshot. From 1930 onward, a photograph was required.
- Key fieldsSpouse, children, their birthplaces
- From 1930Includes photograph
If your ancestor naturalised as a US citizen before a child was born, that child may not have inherited Czechoslovak citizenship through that parent. The naturalisation date is therefore legally significant — not just genealogically interesting. For citizenship work, obtain the most authoritative copy available and treat the naturalisation timeline as a key legal question.
Passenger manifests & ship records
The great Slovak emigration to America peaked between 1880 and 1914. Ship manifests from this era — particularly post-1906 forms — are among the most valuable genealogical documents. The more detailed early-20th-century passenger forms required steerage passengers to answer extensive questions, often including their last place of residence in Europe, contact in America, and who paid their fare.
Passenger lists (1820–1957)
Post-1906 manifests list the passenger’s last place of residence (often the village in Slovakia), nearest relative in the country of origin, and destination contact in the US. Look for both the American arrival manifest and any surviving European departure records. Hamburg departure lists survive extensively; Bremen records survive only in limited form because most originals were destroyed.
- Key fieldsLast European residence; nearest relative at home
- Primary routesHamburg/Bremen and other European ports → New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston and others
- Held atNARA; Ellis Island Foundation
Hamburg lists & limited Bremen records
The Hamburg State Archives hold departure lists from 1850 to 1934. These complement American arrival manifests and sometimes include additional hometown detail. By contrast, Bremen departure records survive only fragmentarily, so Hamburg records are usually the more practical German departure source.
- Coverage1850–1934
- Direct index1890–1914 most comprehensive
Social Security applications — the SS-5
Social Security application (Form SS-5)
The SS-5 is the original application for a Social Security number. For immigrants, it is often one of the most complete English-language documents listing their exact date and place of birth as they themselves reported it — including the country and sometimes the town. Applications survive from 1936 onward, subject to access rules and privacy restrictions.
- Key fieldsFull name, DOB, exact birthplace, employer
- Coverage1936 onward; available for eligible deceased persons via FOIA
- Request viaSSA Freedom of Information request
Military service records
Military records are available from both the Slovak/Austro-Hungarian side and the American side. They are particularly useful for confirming birthplace, physical description, and family status.
K.u.K. military records (pre-1918)
Soldiers from Slovakia served in the Imperial and Royal (k.u.k.) Army. Regimental rolls, conscription records, and pension files can identify a man’s village of birth, religion, and occupation. The Austrian State Archives hold the largest collection.
- Held atAustrian State Archives (Vienna)
- RegimentSlovak men typically in Hungarian regiments 15–71
WWI draft registration cards
Most male US residents aged 18–45 registered for the WWI draft in 1917–18 regardless of citizenship status, even if they never served. Cards include full name, address, age, birthplace, employer, and nearest relative — an invaluable snapshot for immigrant Slovak men in America.
- CoverageMost male residents aged 18–45, 1917–18
- Key fieldsBirthplace, employer, nearest relative
Employment records & fraternal organisation records
Company & union employment records
Many Slovak immigrants worked in Pennsylvania coal mines, Pittsburgh steel mills, or Cleveland factories. Company personnel files, where they survive, may contain birthplace and immigration information. Union membership records, including some UMWA-related materials, can also record national origin.
- Key archivesPennsylvania State Archives; local historical societies
- Union recordsUMWA archives, Wayne State (Reuther Library)
Slovak fraternal organisations
Slovak immigrants in America formed extensive fraternal and beneficial societies that provided life insurance and community support. Membership applications required birthplace information. The First Catholic Slovak Union and Slovak League of America hold substantial archives.
- Key organisationsFirst Catholic Slovak Union (Jednota); Slovak League
- Records includeBirthplace, family details, death benefits
Death certificates & obituaries
Death certificates issued by US states often contain the deceased’s birthplace as reported by an informant. The informant may have been a family member, undertaker, hospital representative, or another person, so the information should be checked against other records. They can therefore confirm (or sometimes contradict) the village of origin. Combined with an obituary from a Slovak-language newspaper, they can be especially rich.
State death certificates
US death certificates record birthplace (country and sometimes state/region) and parents’ birthplaces. Quality varies by state and year — Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and other major Slovak immigrant destinations have useful death records, though coverage and online indexing vary by state and period.
- Key fieldsBirthplace; father’s name & birthplace; mother’s maiden name
- Held atState vital records offices; county courthouses
Obituaries in Slovak American newspapers
Slovak-language newspapers such as Slovenský sokol, Robotnícke noviny, and Jednota published detailed obituaries that often named the immigrant’s home village, surviving relatives in Slovakia, and the local Slovak organisation chapter.
- Key papersJednota; Amerikán-Slovenské noviny; Robotnícke noviny
- PeriodRoughly 1885–1960s
Need help putting the pieces together?
Our team at ZIP Citizenship specialises in Slovak citizenship by descent. We work with genealogists in Slovakia, access the Slovak State Archives, and guide you through every document — from the first ship manifest to the final citizenship application.