Search Unalaska Genealogy Records
Searching genealogy records in Unalaska, Alaska means working with one of the most layered and historically rich record sets in the state, spanning Russian colonial registers, Unangan and Aleut heritage collections, federal territorial records, and modern vital statistics. Unalaska sits in the Aleutians West Census Area and is the main community in Dutch Harbor, a region where Russian, American, and Alaska Native histories have intersected for centuries. Records are held at FamilySearch, the Alaska State Archives, the National Archives at Seattle, and locally at the Museum of the Aleutians.
Unalaska Overview
FamilySearch Collections for Unalaska
The FamilySearch Aleutians West Census Area genealogy guide is the primary starting point for Unalaska family history research. The guide points to several collections that cover vital events in the Aleutian Islands region, including records going back to the American territorial period and beyond. FamilySearch holds digitized images for many of these collections, and they are free to search and view.
A key collection for Unalaska researchers is the Alaska, U.S., Pribilof Islands Vital Records and Census Records, 1877-1970, available through Ancestry. While this collection focuses on the Pribilof Islands, it draws from the same Aleutian region records system and contains data relevant to families across the Aleutians West area. Russian Orthodox Church records for the Unalaska area are another major source, with some registers going back well into the Russian colonial period.
Federal census records from 1900 onward cover the Unalaska area and are searchable through both FamilySearch and Ancestry. Census data confirms family members, ages, birthplaces, and occupations. For Unalaska, early census records also document Unangan and Aleut households that were part of the village before and after Alaska became a U.S. territory in 1867.
Note: FamilySearch is free to use. Create a free account to access restricted collections and save your research progress.
Russian Orthodox Church Records
Russian Orthodox Church records are among the most important genealogy sources for Unalaska. The Russian Orthodox presence in Unalaska dates to the late 1700s, and parish registers document baptisms, marriages, and burials for the community across the Russian and American periods. These registers predate the U.S. territorial vital records system and are often the only source for events in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Some Unalaska-area Russian Orthodox records have been digitized and are accessible through FamilySearch. Others are held at the Library of Congress, which maintains the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of Alaska Records collection covering 1816 to 1974. This is a major repository for Unangan and Aleut genealogy. Records are written in Russian, which can be a barrier, but some have been indexed in English. Reaching out to a genealogist familiar with Russian Orthodox records is often worthwhile for serious Unalaska research.
The records document Russian, Creole, Unangan, and Aleut families in a single register, reflecting the mixed heritage of the Unalaska community through the colonial and territorial eras. Family structures documented in these registers often span multiple cultural backgrounds, which is characteristic of Unalaska history.
Museum of the Aleutians
The Museum of the Aleutians is located in Dutch Harbor in Unalaska. The museum maintains collections related to the history and culture of the Aleutian Islands, and its archives include photographs, documents, and artifacts relevant to genealogy research. The museum documents Russian, American, and Alaska Native heritage of the region and provides research assistance for family history inquiries tied to the Aleutians.
For Unalaska genealogy research, the museum is the closest local institution with archival holdings. Collections include materials that document the Unangan people, the early American trading era, the fishing industry, and World War II events in the Aleutians. If your family has roots in Unalaska or the broader Aleutian Islands, contacting the museum is a practical step. Research assistance is available for inquiries related to the museum's collections.
The museum's holdings supplement the official vital records and archives-based research, filling in historical context and sometimes providing names, dates, and connections not found in government records.
The Unalaska Community Portal provides local information about Unalaska and Dutch Harbor. See unalaska.info for community resources and local contacts relevant to genealogy research in the area.
Vital Records: How to Get Copies
Certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for Unalaska residents are issued by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics in Juneau. You can order through health.alaska.gov online using VitalChek, or by mail to the Juneau office. No local Unalaska office issues certified copies.
State law controls access. Alaska Statute 18.50.290 keeps birth records closed for 100 years from the date of birth. Alaska Statute 18.50.300 restricts death, marriage, and divorce records for 50 years from the event. Records older than those cutoffs are open to the public. A first certified copy costs $30, and each added copy is $25. Online orders typically take two to three weeks; mail orders take two to three months.
For genealogy work, older open records are often already at FamilySearch as free digital images. Check there first. The Pribilof Islands records collection at Ancestry also covers Aleutian region events and may contain the record you need.
Alaska State Archives and National Archives
The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds statewide records covering the Aleutians West Census Area and Unalaska residents. Key holdings include naturalization records from 1888 to 1972, the Probate Index from 1883 to 1960, Vital Statistics from 1816 to 1998, and Military Service Discharge Records from 1898 to 1934. For Unalaska, the pre-statehood records are particularly important since the community was active long before Alaska achieved statehood in 1959.
The National Archives at Seattle holds federal records for the Aleutian Islands region. This includes federal court records, census records, and naturalization documents for Unalaska and surrounding communities. The National Archives also holds records related to the World War II Aleutian campaign, which directly affected Unalaska and can be a source for military family histories and records of wartime evacuation. Requesting records from Seattle can be done online through the National Archives ordering system.
The Alaska State Archives in Juneau maintains records for Unalaska and the Aleutians West Census Area. Visit archives.alaska.gov for collection guides and the Research Inquiry Form.
Alaska Commercial Company Collection
The Alaska Commercial Company Collection at the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks contains records for Unalaska going back to the American trading era after the 1867 purchase. The Alaska Commercial Company operated extensively in the Aleutians, and its records document employees, trade activities, and community members in Unalaska and surrounding islands. These business records sometimes include family information, hiring records, and correspondence that can supplement official vital records.
For Unalaska genealogy research, the company records are particularly useful for the period between the end of Russian administration and the establishment of the full U.S. territorial record-keeping system. That gap, roughly 1867 to the early 1900s, can otherwise be hard to research using only government sources. The Rasmuson Library can be contacted for research assistance and can help identify specific holdings relevant to your family's timeline.
Digital Archives and Online Tools
Alaska's Digital Archives at vilda.alaska.edu provides searchable access to historical photographs, maps, and documents from archives and museums across Alaska. For Unalaska research, this can surface early photographs of the community, village scenes from the Aleutians, and wartime materials connected to the Dutch Harbor area. The collection draws from the Alaska State Library, University of Alaska Anchorage, and University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The Alaska Commercial Company records, Russian Orthodox registers, and federal territorial files together form a layered research foundation for Unalaska families. Cross-referencing across all three source types gives the most complete picture, since different record systems captured different populations and different life events.
Aleutians West Census Area Records
Unalaska is the largest community in the Aleutians West Census Area. For broader genealogy records covering the full census area, visit the area page.
Other Alaska Cities
Unalaska is the only qualifying city in the Aleutians West Census Area. These Alaska cities have genealogy record pages on this site: