Census records are great genealogy resources. The National Archives in Iceland have many census records available online. The Icelandic Roots Genealogy Database (see tab on the top right of this page) uses a variety of resources online including the census records, printed books and materials, plus other original sources to verify the data we publish online in the database.
With the Iceland census records online, you can find 1703, 1835, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1855, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1901, 1910, and 1920 - some of these are not totally completed. 1870 information on Eyjafjarðar, Thingeyjar and Múla counties was lost a long time ago and is not available.
You can search in Icelandic, English, or Danish with a Simple Search or an Advanced Search. Instructions are available on the website.
As with any resource, it is best to verify the findings with other resources. According to the website: www.manntal.is
"The censuses will appear on the net as like the originals as is possible and sensible. Thus the census information will not be corrected even though sources show that the information in the census is wrong. To some extent it cannot be expected that the digitalised versions will be freer of errors than any other human work. Indications are that wrong entries have been well expunged but it should be emphasised that real errors that are in the censuses themselves will not be corrected. The aim, however, is to add corrections, as possible, as comments."
Here is a screen shot of the opening page in English:
This is a great resource for your genealogy quest. If you want to become a member of the Icelandic Roots Genealogy Database, we can help with your research and connect you to more information from a variety of sources.