Ohio, County Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Vital Records &gt; Ohio &gt; Ohio Vital Records &gt; Ohio County Birth Records

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Collection Time Period
County birth records were kept from 1867 to December 1908, though later in some counties.

Record History
Ohio counties generally began keeping birth records in 1867, when Ohio passed a law requiring this. Physicians or county assessors in cities and townships created the birth records and then sent them to the country probate court. On December 20, 1908, a new state law required the county to send the birth records to the state. Most births that occurred in a county were probably recorded because of the legal requirement for registration.

Why This Record Was Created
The state required counties to begin recording births both to document the births and to track public health issues. A delayed registration allowed an individual whose birth had not been recorded to obtain a birth certificate, which was usually needed to receive certain government benefits.

Record Reliability
The information on birth records is generally reliable, but there is always the possibility of misinformation.

Record Description
County birth records were entered into register books. The pages of these books were preprinted, the entries were handwritten, and there were multiple entries to a page. Birth records are generally well preserved, though some may have been lost because of fire or other disasters. Also, some records may have been sent to the Ohio Historical Society.

Record Content
Birth entries include the following genealogical information:


 * Child’s birth date
 * Sex
 * Township, county, and state of the birth
 * Child’s name
 * Parents’ names, including the mother’s maiden name
 * Name of the person reporting the birth
 * Residence of the parents

How to Use the Record
Prior to 1908, county birth records are the best source for birth information. Use the family residence at the time of birth to find other records about the family. Use the parents’ names to search for information about them and earlier generations.

Related Web Sites
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Sources of This Information
Ohio, Probate County [County Name]. Birth records, [date range]. From URL, date accessed or downloaded. Digital reference number, name of person, event place (if any), birth date. Example: Ohio, Probate County (Washington County). Birth records, 1867-1941. From FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org), February 9, 2007. Geo. Heinrich Schramm, born 24 Aug 1867. Ohio, Probate County [County Name]. Birth records [date range]. Salt Lake City: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, [filming date]. Microform number, page number, entry number (if any), name of person, event place (if any), birth date.

How to Cite Your Sources
Instructions for citing this source can be found at: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections