Ohio, County Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection includes a name index and images of county birth records in Ohio. The time period and type of record varies by county.

The records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages, bound into books. The books are in register style with multiple entries to a page. The records are generally well preserved, though some may have been lost because of fire or other disasters. Some of the records have been sent to the Ohio Historical Society. Some of the birth records may be delayed, and created from other types of records.

The collection covers the years 1841 to 2003.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. Some of the images in this collection are only available for viewing if you are a registered FamilySearch user. You can register for a free FamilySearch account here. For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Date birth was recorded
 * Full name of child
 * Child’s birth date
 * Place of birth, including city, country and state
 * Child's gender and race
 * Parents’ names, including mother’s maiden name
 * Parents' place of residence
 * Name of the person reporting the birth
 * Parents' birth dates and places
 * Parents' age
 * Parents' occupation
 * Name of attending physician or midwife

Collection Content
Ohio counties generally began keeping birth records in 1867, when Ohio passed a law requiring this. Physicians or county assessors in cities and townships created the birth records and then sent them to the country probate court. On December 20, 1908, a new state law required the county to send the birth records to the state. Most births that occurred in a county were probably recorded because of the legal requirement for registration.

The state required counties to begin recording births both to document the births and to track public health issues. A delayed registration allowed an individual whose birth had not been recorded to obtain a birth certificate, which was usually needed to receive certain government benefits.

Coverage Table
A coverage table for this collection is available in the wiki article Ohio, County Birth Records, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records).

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person
 * The date and location of birth

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Date Range and Volume to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for vital records such as marriage and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Ohio.
 * Ohio Guided Research
 * Ohio Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.