Ohio, County Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1856 to 1909.

Record Description
Name index and images of county birth records in Ohio. The time period and type of record varies by county.

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 Records
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.

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 Collection 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.

Related Websites
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Related Wiki Articles
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Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also 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: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Examples of citations:


 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.


 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of Information for This Collection:
"Ohio, County Births, 1856-1909." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org) Various county clerks throughout Ohio. FHL microfilm, 367 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections