Virginia, Richmond Birth Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1870 to 1912.

Record Description
Card index to births in the city of Richmond, Virginia, 1870-1912. The cards are generally arranged alphabetically by the surname and given name(s) of the individual. Many of the cards are typed.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts in these birth indexes generally include:


 * Full date of birth
 * Race of Child and Parents
 * Full name of Father
 * Child's given name
 * Full name of Mother
 * Certificate number

Record History
Virginia registration of births, deaths, and marriages began on a county level in 1853 and continued until 1896. Many counties abandoned registration during the Civil War, or recorded only a small percentage of events. Except in some independent cities, records were not kept between 1896 and 14 June 1912, when statewide registration of vital statistics began. Early records, 1853–96, have been microfilmed and are available at The Library of Virginia and the FHL. Marriage bonds and licensing were in place from the 1600s in Virginia, though are sporadic and fragmented. They are usually found among the county levels of records, and are often published.

Record Reliability
The birth indexes of Richmond, Virginia are very reliable.

Related Websites
Virginia Birth Records

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Related Wiki Articles
Virginia Vital Records

Virginia Church Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also 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: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This 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.

Sources of information for This Collection
"Virginia, Richmond City Birth Index, 1870-1912." Index FamilySearch. Library of Virginia, Richmond City, Virginia. FHL digital images. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections