Arizona, Birth Certificates - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists of a name index to select birth certificates acquired from the Arizona Department of Library, Archives and Public Records Management Division in Phoenix. The collection is arranged by year and by county name beginning in 1909. Coverage includes July 1909-May 1914; Nov 1914-Aug 1915; and Feb-June 1917.

Record Content
The following information is usually found in the index:


 * Child’s name
 * Child's birth date and place of birth
 * Child’s gender and race
 * Full name of mother, including her maiden name
 * Full name of father including

How to Use the Records
To begin your search, it will be helpful to know the following:


 * The child's name
 * The approximate birth place or date

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

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 record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census, church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the parents. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify siblings and other relatives who may have been born in Arizona. this can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person with a common last name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * There is some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * If you know their religion, search for a church record of the birth.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Related Websites
Arizona Department of Health Services

Related Wiki Articles

 * Arizona Birth, Marriage and Death Records
 * Arizona Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.