Tennessee’s death records are a vital resource for genealogists tracing family histories in the southern United States. Official statewide death registration began in 1914, but earlier records can often be found in county archives, church registers, and family Bibles, dating back to the 18th and early 19th centuries during Tennessee’s territorial and early statehood periods.
These records typically include details such as family relationships, birthplaces, and causes of death. Supplementary sources, like cemetery records, obituaries, and probate files, help fill gaps in earlier documentation. Tennessee’s history, influenced by Native American communities, European settlers, and its strategic role during the Civil War, makes these records especially valuable. They provide essential insights for uncovering ancestry and understanding Tennessee’s cultural and historical development.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
Birth, Marriage & Death
Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries
- Tennessee Deaths 3,747,455 records
- Tennessee, Hamilton County Obituaries 625,425 records
- Tennessee, Shelby County Deaths 433,949 records
- Tennessee, Knox County Obituaries 224,161 records
Search historical records in the United States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming