Washington Birth Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes records created in King County, Washington, during 1941 and 1942 for people who applied for delayed birth certificates. Delayed certificates can be issued for people whose birth was not recorded at the time of the event. The records were created in the 1940s, but the actual births occurred earlier.

Individuals who were born prior to 1907, or who did not have a birth certificate, may have applied for a delayed birth certificate at a superior court or at the State Department of Health. Washington began keeping delayed birth records in 1907. Many unrecorded births were finally registered during World War II or as people applied for Social Security.

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

Record Content
Delayed birth records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of person requesting delayed birth certificate
 * Current residence
 * Name of child for whom certificate is requested
 * Child's date and place of birth
 * Name of any attendee at birth
 * Father's name, current residence, race and birthplace
 * Mother's maiden name, current residence, race and birth place
 * Names and affidavits of two (2) witnesses and their residence

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


 * Child's name
 * Birth date
 * Birth place
 * Parents' names

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals 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 the information on several individuals comparing the information about them 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.

To search the collection image by image, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate  "Digital Folder Number" which takes you to the images.

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. 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.

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

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s birth record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents.
 * If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile birth entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents.
 * Continue to search the birth records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were born in the same county or nearby.
 * The information in birth records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

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

General Information About Delayed Birth Records
Births were recorded for public health purposes. Birth certificates were also issued to individuals as legal documents. In cases where an individual’s birth had not been recorded, it was not uncommon for that individual to apply for a delayed birth registration since the certificate was needed to receive government benefits.

Related Websites
Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Region

Related Wiki Articles
Washington 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.