Michigan Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of an index and images of Michigan statewide birth registration entries for the years 1867 to 1902.

County birth records were entered into register books with multiple entries to a page. Pages are printed and entries are handwritten. Clerks of each County Court recorded births that were reported by parents, doctors, and midwives, beginning in 1867. This information was then sent to the secretary of the state. From 1867 to 1879, about 15% to 20% of the births were recorded; from 1880-1902, coverage increased to about 60% to 70%.

The state required counties to begin recording births to document the occurrence of a birth and to track public health issues. Information on birth records is generally reliable, though there is always the chance of misinformation.

Record Content
Information found in the records may include:


 * Birth date and place of birth
 * Name of child
 * If still-born, illegitimate, or twin
 * Gender
 * Color or race
 * Names of parents, father's occupation and their residence
 * Birth place of father
 * Birth place of mother
 * Date and number of record

How to Use the Records
Birth records are the best source of birth information after 1867. 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.

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. 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 look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Look at the images one by one 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.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Michigan Genealogy Records - hosted by RootsWeb
 * Access Genealogy

Related Wiki Articles

 * Michigan
 * Michigan Vital Records

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org. Source citations include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.