Massachusetts, Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes an index to selected birth records from 1636 to 1920.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records may contain the following information:
 * Child's full name
 * Sex of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Race
 * Name of Father
 * Name of Mother
 * Occupation of Father
 * Mother's and Father's birthplace
 * Residence of Parents
 * Informant

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the child
 * The approximate date of the birth
 * Place of birth

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Search for the family in land and probate records in the town where they lived

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Massachusetts.
 * Massachusetts Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.