”By now only the name of the village is Hungarian …”

Abstract

Many aspects of the demography of early modern Transylvania are still waiting to be unfolded. Demographic studies about the era shed light on only certain segments of the whole picture, due to the fragmented historical sources, as well as the limited scope of the censuses. Moreover, in the absence of fundamental research, it is not even possible to examine the migration processes that took place in the era. The censuses (conscriptiones) made in the first decades of the 18th century, which in many cases contain the names of the householders, are suitable for examining the demographic changes and the ethnic distribution of certain settlements. This article provides an insight into the demography of the Unitarian settlements belonging to the castle domain of Gyalu by using censuses and ecclesiastical sources. It should be emphasized that this type of research is only a drop in the ocean in terms of the complexity of the issue. However, its results hopefully contribute to a deeper understanding of the demographic changes of Transylvania.