GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Finland Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Finland Guided Research page.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1657-1890: Finland Baptism Index  at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1657-1890: Finland, Select Baptisms  at Ancestry ($)

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Finding Town of Origin
Knowing an ancestor’s hometown can be important to locate more records. If a person immigrated to the United States, try Finding Town of Origin to find the ancestor’s hometown.

Virtual Genealogy Consultations
Schedule a free online consultation with a research specialist:

Ask the Community
Select a community research group where you can ask questions and receive free genealogy help.

Tips for finding births
Success with finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points:
 * Your ancestor's name may misspelled. Try the following search tactics:
 * Try searching for the parents if known, instead of the child.
 * Try different spelling variations of the first and last name of your ancestor (e.g. Aleta, Aletta, Alette).
 * Try a given name search (leave out the last names).
 * The use of patronymic surnames in Finland ended in the late 1800s. (See this article for more information.)


 * Expand the date range of the search.
 * Try searching with the province name only instead of by parish.
 * If your ancestor's name is common, try adding more information to narrow the search, such as relationships.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start In general the Lutheran church began keeping records after a 1686 royal decree. Each parish gradually complied with this decree. Record availability before that time period is inconsistent.

Records Published by FamilySearch Collection coverage tables show the places and time periods of original records published by FamilySearch. For any FamilySearch collections you did not find your ancestor in, check the coverage table for gaps in the online collection. If the time period or location your ancestor lived in is missing from the collection, it may require searches in records found at original repository or finding substitute records for the event.


 * Finland Baptisms Coverage Table and Map

Records Destroyed Any known record loss will be mentioned on the parish page. Locate your parish by navigating to the parish page starting here.