Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection is an index and images of birth registers from the Board of Health in the city of Philadelphia. It includes birth returns filed by physicians, midwives and area hospitals or other facilities. The collection includes records from 1860 to 1906.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, 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 records usually contain the following:


 * Date of Registration in City of Philadelphia
 * Date of birth
 * Name of child
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Place of birth (ward number and street address)
 * Names of parents
 * Occupation of father
 * Name of physician and their residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of birth

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Digital Folder Number 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?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

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

 * Use the information to find other vital records such as marriage and death
 * Search for military records
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search for land and probate
 * Search church records for additional information

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906." Database and images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing Board of Health. Department of Records.
 * Collection Citation:

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