Obituary search by name
Looking for someone you lost touch with? Enter their name to see the relatives and past addresses tied to it. That tells you which town's paper and funeral homes to check, and who in the family to call.
Where obituaries are published
- Funeral home websites. The funeral home that handled the service almost always posts the obituary, often with the service details and a guest book.
- The local newspaper where the person lived, in print and on its site. Many papers publish obituaries through a shared obituary site.
- Newspaper archives for older obituaries. Most charge a subscription; your library may give free access.
- Genealogy sites such as FamilySearch (free) for older deaths and family links.
How to search
- Search the full name in quotes, plus "obituary" and the city. Try the maiden name and a middle initial too.
- Don't know the city? Run the name search above and check the most recent addresses on the report.
- Look up funeral homes in that town and search their sites by last name.
- Check the relatives on the report. Obituaries list surviving family by name, so a match confirms you have the right person.
- To make it official, order the death certificate from the state where the death happened.
Questions
How do I find an obituary by name?
Search the full name with the word "obituary" and the town where the person last lived. Then check that town's funeral homes and local newspaper. Most obituaries are posted by the funeral home that handled the service.
Can I search obituaries by last name only?
Yes, but add a city or state, or you will get thousands of results. If you know a spouse's or child's first name, add it: obituaries list surviving family by name.
What if I don't know where they lived?
That is the most common dead end. A people search by name shows the past addresses tied to a person, which tells you which local paper and funeral homes to check, and lists relatives you can contact.
Is an obituary the same as a death record?
No. An obituary is a notice the family publishes. A death certificate is the official record from the state where the death happened. To order one, pick the state on our death records by state page.
Are older obituaries online?
Many are, in digitized newspaper archives (most charge a subscription) and on free genealogy sites such as FamilySearch, which also hosts the Social Security Death Index for older deaths.
Death records by state
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