Using Birth Records in Genealogy

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Birth records are sensitive data for today's information-based world, but they're also a valuable source of information when you're tracing your family tree. Discovering a birth record of an ancestor can open up doors into your family history by providing plenty of leads to trace back in time.

Birth records document an individual's full birth name, the exact date and time of birth and their parents' full names. Depending on the time and location in which the birth records were filed, you may also learn the parents' social security numbers, address at the time of the birth, occupations and other pertinent details. These details can lead your genealogical research in new directions.

When most of think of birth records, we automatically think of birth certificates. A birth certificate is a standard document in the United States. However, today's birth certificate was not always the standard. Birth records were handwritten documents that could be filled out by a doctor, priest, clerk or many other different offices. Therefore, when performing a genealogy search for old birth records it may be necessary to think outside the box. You may not necessarily find birth records where you expect to.

A common problem that people find when performing genealogical research is that old records may have been destroyed. Birth records were commonly kept loosely filed in semi-unprotected buildings. It was not uncommon for a fire or storm to destroy the records of an entire town. If you cannot locate a specific official birth record, this could be the reason.

Your genealogy search will take many twists and turns and may lead you in unexpected directions. If you are unable to locate specific birth records, you might be able to discover similar records that will suffice. If you can determine which church the family attended, you may be able to find baptismal records that contain much of the same information. School records may also provide similar documentation.

When writing for more modern birth records such as birth certificates, you need to have as much information as you can. In some towns, it is illegal to release birth certificates to anyone who does not know key information, but in most jurisdictions, it is more a matter of being able to locate the record. Before writing for a birth certificate, try to be sure of the person's first and last names and the year of birth.

You may also be able to search some birth records online. Ancestry, Roots Web and other sites provide one-click database searches of a variety of records. You can also try the vital records office website for the city in question to see if the town provides a searchable database.

Genealogy considers birth records to be a treasure trove of information for those tracing their family's past. These documents can provide a wonderful portrait of a period in the history of a family, and offer critical clues to your search back in time.

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