Virginia, Richmond Birth Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1870 to 1912.

Record Description
Card index to births in the city of Richmond, Virginia, 1870-1912. The cards are generally arranged alphabetically by the surname and given name(s) of the individual. Many of the cards are typed.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts in these birth indexes generally include the following information:


 * Full date of birth
 * Race of Child and Parents
 * Full name of Father
 * Child's given name
 * Full name of Mother
 * Certificate number

How to Use the Record
To begin your search in the index you need to know the following:


 * Child's name
 * Approximate birth date
 * General birth place

Compare the information in the index to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor in the index, use the page, entry, or certificate number to locate your ancestors in the birth 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 in the same or other generations who were born in the same county or nearby.

You may also find the following additional information helpful.


 * When you have located your ancestor’s birth record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.
 * 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.
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to other types of records, such as employment or military records.
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and help establish a migration pattern for the family.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in birth records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

Record History
Virginia registration of births, deaths, and marriages began on a county level in 1853 and continued until 1896. Many counties abandoned registration during the Civil War, or recorded only a small percentage of events. Except in some independent cities, records were not kept between 1896 and 14 June 1912, when statewide registration of vital statistics began. Early records, 1853–96, have been microfilmed and are available at The Library of Virginia and the FHL. Marriage bonds and licensing were in place from the 1600s in Virginia, though are sporadic and fragmented. They are usually found among the county levels of records, and are often published.

Why the Record Was Created
Births were recorded to better serve public health needs.

Record Reliability
The birth indexes of Richmond, Virginia are very reliable.

Related Websites
Virginia Birth Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Virginia Vital Records
 * Virginia Church Records

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.


 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of information for This Collection
"Virginia, Richmond City Birth Index, 1870-1912." Index FamilySearch (FamilySearch). Library of Virginia, Richmond City, Virginia. FHL digital images. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.