West Virginia Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover births from 1853 to 1970.

Record Description
Birth entries were recorded in pre-printed register books containing many entries per page beginning in 1853. Earlier records were handwritten. They were usually typewritten by 1930.

Record Content
County birth records contain some or all of these genealogical facts:


 * Name of the child
 * Birth date and place
 * Registration date
 * Sex
 * Color or race
 * Father's name, occupation and residence
 * Mother's name and residence (maiden name sometimes given)
 * Father and mother's age, color, nationality and birthplace
 * Whether the child was born dead
 * Number of children in this birth
 * Total number of children born to this mother and number now living
 * Informant's name, address and relationship

How to Use the Records
County birth records are the best source after 1853 of birth information. Use the family residence at time of birth to find other records about the family. Use the parents' names to search for information about them and earlier generations

Record History
Clerks of each County Court recorded births that were reported by parents, doctors and midwives beginning in 1853. The state of West Virginia began collecting births from the counties in 1917. From 1853-1879, about 15% of the births were recorded; from 1880-1920, coverage increased to about 65%. By 1925, nearly 100% of the births were recorded.

Why This Collection Was Created?
The state required counties to begin recording births to document the occurrence of a birth and to track public health issues. Delayed registration of births allowed persons whose birth was not recorded to obtain a birth certificate, usually in order to receive government benefits.

Record Reliability
The birth date and place, residence, and other facts that were current at the time the birth occurred are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation. Other data such as the parents' age or birth place have a greater chance of error because they are based on the memory of the informant.

Related Web Sites
This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related websites here.

Related Wiki Articles
West Virginia Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

How Has This Article Helped You?
Send us your story

Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki: Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages

Sources of Information for This Collection:
"West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," database, FamilySearch; (http://familysearch.org), from Digital images of copies of originals housed in County Courthouses throughout West Virginia. Birth records. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections