How to Find an Ancestor's Birth Records
Locating a relative's birth record is easier than it has ever been. Genealogy, or the study of family ancestry, has become more popular with the advent of websites that link to databases of census and voter lists, birth, marriage and death records, Social Security data, military service and immigration information. The Social Security Death Index lists the birthplace, place of death and dates of these events for a deceased family member. Religious and civic organizations also may have information on your family.
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Instructions
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Preliminary Information
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Learning about your family heritage has never been easier Find out as much as you can about your family member before starting a genealogical search. Besides the first and last name and middle initial, learn where the person lived if possible. Old letters, family members, college yearbooks and other memorabilia may have valuable information. Colleges and universities often have records that date back several generations. The more names, dates and places you can identify ahead of time, the more likely you are to find the birth records.
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Each state issues birth certificates. Go to the public health department or department of vital statistics in the state where the birth took place. In the United States, states started collecting birth records and issuing certificates at the beginning of the 20th century. Before then, these records were often noted in the family Bible and kept by the church. If the birth took place before the individual state began keeping vital statistics, you will need to turn to another source.
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Search old church records for information about your ancestor. Check the Federal census. The U.S. Government has taken a census every 10 years since 1790. Ancestory.com, one of the largest and most reputable online sources, indicates that questions varied from year to year and the censuses taken from 1900 to 1930 included a date of immigration. If you have an ancestor who immigrated during that period, use the date to search for the passenger arrival record. Then track the location where that person settled and target nearby churches for birth records.
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Use your family member's Social Security number to access the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). This database contains information about the birthplace and place of death, the dates of these events and the last residence. The index does not include middle initials so do not include this information in your search. Using the maiden name of females may assist in locating marriage licenses and other records.
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Visit the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., to use their resources. These include microfilm, books, doctoral dissertations, telephone directories, U.S. Government, Congressional and state documents. Use the online reference tool or attend a class at the library to learn about the research materials there. Take an online course provided by FamilySearch.org. Some of these focus on specific segments of the population, such as African Americans, Cherokee Indians and Germans and other immigrants.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit birth marriage and death image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com family image by Anna Chelnokova from Fotolia.com baby image by Diane Stamatelatos from Fotolia.com old country church image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
