Tennessee, Birth Records, Enumerator Record Series - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Tennessee 



What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of images of birth records from the "Enumerator Record Series" in the Tennessee Division of Vital Records from 1908-1912. These births were reported yearly by the Board of School Directors in each county; the enumeration was not taken in 1913. The documents are housed at the Tennessee Division of Vital Records in Nashville, which acquired them from the Tennessee State Library and Archives in 1980. Not all records reached the state. If the person you are searching for cannot be found in this collection, try searching county records.

Collection Content
The records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of person reporting birth
 * School District
 * City Ward
 * Name of child
 * Birth date
 * Sex
 * color
 * Birth place
 * Name of father
 * Father's birthplace
 * Father's occupation
 * Name of mother
 * Mother's birthplace
 * Name of physician
 * Name of midwife
 * Date recorded
 * Name of county court clerk

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your ancestor’s name.
 * Other identifying information such as residence, birthdate, names of other family members and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Birth Index" ⇒Select the "Number and Name Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images 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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy 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 location and parents' names to find family in census and church records.
 * Use the county and the certificate number to obtain a copy of the original birth certificate from the county.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify siblings and other relatives who may have been born in the same area.

What If I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * 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.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring locality.

Related Websites

 * Tennessee US GenWeb Archives
 * Tennessee GenWeb Project
 * Tenneessee Genealogy Search Engines
 * Tennessee Genealogy]
 * Tennessee Office of Vital Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Tennessee Genealogy
 * How to Find Tennessee Birth Records
 * Tennessee Vital Records

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: