District of Columbia Birth Returns - FamilySearch Historical Records

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.

The District of Columbia collections are available only to members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints using the FamilySearch website but can be viewed by all users at a FamilySearch Center near you.

Original images can also be ordered or viewed through the following: 1. Microfilm and microfiche from the Family History Library are available via Online Film Ordering in most parts of the world. The film number is included in the source information found on the index of the record. A catalog search for the District of Columbia provides a rich variety of available records.

Instructions on how to order microfilm are found on the research wiki.

2. The research wiki includes links to several websites which offer vital records for the District of Columbia

Record Description
The collection consists of images of birth returns and birth index registers from the Health Department in Washington, D.C. for the years 1874 to 1897. The birth returns name the parents but do not name the child.

For a list of records by dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
The records usually include the following information:


 * Birth date of child
 * Birth place of child
 * Number of child of Mother
 * Race or Color
 * Gender
 * Mother's Maiden Name
 * Mother's Birthplace
 * Mother's Residence
 * Full name of Father
 * Father's Occupation
 * Father's Birthplace

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name of the child
 * Identifying information such as the parents names, the birth place and approximate birth date

Search the Collection
To browse this collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Record Type, Number, and Year Range" which takes you to the images

There are indexes available in these collections. The indexes are located in individual folders titled Birth Index. The Index will be used to find the parents of the birth child. Find your ancestors name and look for the number located by their name. This will help you find the record you are looking for in the collection.

Compare the information in the record 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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
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. For example:


 * 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The father’s occupation can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * The parent’s birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * 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.
 * The information in birth records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Related Websites
District of Columbia Births on USGenweb Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * District of Columbia Vital Records
 * District of Columbia Church Records
 * District of Columbia

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation