Free Birth Records

When researching a family tree, it's helpful to find free birth records. These records establish the parentage of an individual and link that person into the family. It also may show the maiden name of the mother, which is sometimes difficult to find. It will also list the date and place of the birth, which may help identify the family's migration path.

Birth certificates are usually issued by the county where the baby was born and then filed with the state. While modern certificates are restricted by privacy laws, old records are usually open to the public.

There are several places to find birth databases on the Internet. Information contained in the database will vary, as will the time frame and location.

Record Search is a project of the popular genealogy site, Family Search. This site has a variety of vital records databases. The birth databases include:

• Delaware
• Cook County, Illinois (Chicago)
• New Hampshire
• West Virginia

Family Tree Legends is a genealogy software company which offers genealogy databases on its website. While some databases are only for customers to use, there are several that may be searched for free. Birth databases available for free are for California and Texas.

The USGenWeb is a volunteer project which contains a website for all states and counties in the United States. The information in each site is different, but many will contain birth records.

If the ancestor was born before government certificates were issued, you may be able to find a baptism registry in a church. These registries will list the parents' names, the birth date and the date of baptism. They may also list godparents, which may be a valuable clue for possible family members of the mother or father of the baby.

You can contact the church where you believe the baptism took place and ask for a search of their records. Published copies of church records may also be available through your local library or a genealogy library. There are a few church registries online, such as The Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Albany, New York, 1683-1809.

A family Bible can be a good source of free birth records. These family heirlooms recorded the birth, marriages and deaths of family members over the years. Check with relatives or on the USGenWeb for a family Bible transcription for your family.

If none of the above mentioned sources have helped, consider alternative documentation. Many of these resources can be found on the Internet as free, searchable databases. Here are some possibilities:

• Censuses: Federal censuses since 1850 have asked for the birthplace and age of each individual in the household. You can estimate the date the individual was born by using the age. Censuses since 1880 have asked for the relationship of each person to the head of the household, which may help verify the parents. The 1900 Federal census asked for the birth month and year of each person.
• Death Certificates: Death certificates often include parents' names a well as the date and place of birth.
• Military Records: Most enlistment, draft registrations and pension applications will ask for a date the registrant was born or age. They may list the birthplace and next of kin, which may be a parent.
• Wills: When writing a will, some people will state their age. You can subtract the age from the date of the will and get an approximate date.
• Obituaries: Many newspaper obituaries will mention when and where the deceased was born and the parents' names.
• Tombstones: These memorials may list the date and place of birth. Some will also list parents' names, especially for unmarried individuals.

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