User:Evancol/Sandbox/births

Searching for Birth Records
In order to be successful in your search for a birth record, it is best to have the following


 * full name
 * date of birth (if not exact, then a year span)
 * place of birth

The availability of birth records varies from state to state, as well as the information included on them.

Birth records were usually begun in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Unlike other vital records, you are more likely to experience restrictions with birth records. This is to protect the privacy of living individuals.

Information That May be Found on a Birth Certificate

 * An address that would lead to the discovery of the family in a census or city directory
 * Ages of parents
 * Child’s birth order
 * Child's gender
 * Church records for the birth
 * Date of birth
 * Family’s home address
 * Full name of child
 * Hospital or name a medical attendant
 * Maiden name for the mother
 * Names of both parents
 * Names of the previous generation
 * Newspaper birth announcement
 * Occupation of parents
 * Parents' approximate years of birth
 * Parents' birthplaces
 * Place of birth
 * Race of child
 * Religious affiliation
 * Which children belong to which mother in the case of multiple marriages

Places to Look for Birth Information
Whenever possible, start at the county level, except in New England where you will want to start at the town level.


 * Family records including Family Bibles and personal histories
 * Birth records including city and county civil registrations
 * Death records often contain birth information
 * Marriage records
 * Census records sometimes give ages and in some records tell the month and year of birth
 * Church records of births and christenings
 * Obituaries often give birth information
 * Cemetery records including Tombstonesusually give birth and death dates
 * Funeral home records
 * Emigration and immigration records
 * Military records
 * Newspapers often listed new births
 * Probate records
 * Land and Property records

Websites to Begin Your Search

 * About Birth Records
 * All vital records
 * Birth information for various states
 * Family birth records
 * Ancestry, *Footnote.com, *WorldVitalRecords, *Heritage Quest...($)
 * FamilySearch in the Advanced Search, Records Search, and Books
 * Google and other web site search sites, and don't forget to search Google Books
 * Locating United States Vital Records
 * State Archives
 * Social Security Death Index (SSDI) often lists birth date
 * Submitted genealogies posted by others UsGenWeb Genealogy links, Gengateway, Usgennet, FamGen, Rootsweb, Genealogy.com, Kindred Konnections, Ancestry.com

Where to Write for Vital Records
CDC listing (Information by state for all vital records)