Michigan Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images to Michigan statewide birth registration entries for the years 1867 to 1902. County birth records were entered into register books with multiple entries to a page. Pages are printed and entries are handwritten.

Clerks of each County Court recorded births that were reported by parents, doctors, and midwives, beginning in 1867. This information was then sent to the secretary of the state. Because of the way the births were recorded, some information may be slightly off or inaccurate. Users are advised to locate additional sources to confirm anything found in this collection.

From 1867 to 1879, about 15% to 20% of the births were recorded; from 1880-1902, coverage increased to about 60% to 70%.

The state required counties to begin recording births to document the occurrence of a birth and to track public health issues. Information on birth records is generally reliable, though there is always the chance of misinformation.

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

Birth
 * Name of child
 * Birth date and place of birth
 * If still-born, illegitimate, or twin
 * Gender
 * Color or race
 * Names of parents, father's occupation and their residence
 * Birth place of father
 * Birth place of mother
 * Date and number of record

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate birth date of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor was born
 * The name of the child's parents

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.

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

 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Use the information found to search additional state and county records
 * Search the county birth records
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile birth entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents
 * Continue to search the birth records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames, and abbreviated names
 * Search the county birth records since these records were created from the county records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Michigan.
 * Michigan Guided Research
 * 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.