Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection is a name index to birth registers from the Board of Health in the city of Philadelphia. It also includes birth returns filed by physican, midwife and area hospitals, and other facilities.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births collection may contain the following information:




 * Date of birth of Child
 * Name of Child
 * Gender
 * Color
 * Place of Birth (Address no. and street)
 * Names of Parents
 * Occupation of Father
 * Name of Physician

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


 * Name
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. Look at the list of entries created by your search. Compare the information about the ancestors 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 compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Make a photocopy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the names and relationships as a basis for compiling family groups.
 * Use the names, date, and residence or place to locate the individual or family in the census.
 * Use the names and places to locate additional records about the individual or family such as church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * If the record is a birth record look for records of the parents.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of neighboring counties.
 * Search for an index. Local historical and genealogical societies often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites
City of Philadelphia Department of Records

Related Wiki Articles
Pennsylvania Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record Found in a 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.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births,1860-1915." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Board of Health, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FHL microfilm, 461 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.