Scotland - Birth - 1855-Present

Civil Registration: Birth Certificate
Civil registration is the government registration of births, marriages, and deaths beginning 1 January 1855. In these records you may find a child's name, sex, birth date and place, father's name and occupation, mother's name and maiden name, parents' marriage date and place (from 1861), and the name, residence, and relationship of a person present at the birth. Civil registration birth records cover most of the population and are indexed countrywide. Use the national index to identify and obtain a copy of a birth certificate.

Census Records
A census is a count and description of the population. Government census records were taken every ten years starting in 1841. The 1841 through 1891 censuses are currently available. They are especially valuable because they list the majority of the population and are available at many repositories. In these records you may find names of the members of a household, and each person's age, gender, marital status, relationship to the head of the household, occupation, address, and place of birth. Census records can provide clues that may lead you to other records.

What you are looking for

Civil Registration: Marriage Certificate
Civil registration is the government registration of births, marriages, and deaths beginning 1 January 1855. In these records you may find the names of the bride and groom; their ages (which you can use to determine a year of birth), marriage date and place, marital status, residences, occupations, fathers' names and occupations, and mothers' names and maiden names; whether they were married according to the forms of the Church of Scotland or another church; and the names of witnesses. Civil registration marriage records cover most of the population and are indexed countrywide. Use the general index to identify and obtain a copy of a marriage certificate.

Death Certificate: Civil registration
Civil registration is the government registration of births, marriages, and deaths beginning 1 January 1855. In these records you may find the name of the deceased; his or her cause of death, death date and place, rank or profession, marital status, sex, age (from which you can estimate a year of birth), spouse's name, father's name and rank or profession, and mother's name and maiden name; and the signature, relationship, and residence of the informant. Civil registration death records cover most of the population and are indexed countrywide. Use the general index to identify and obtain a copy of a death certificate.

Church of Scotland: Church records
Church records are the christenings or baptisms, marriages, and burials recorded in registers by church officials at the time of an event. Christening records usually give the name of the child, christening date, names of parents (including the mother's maiden name), place of residence, and father's occupation. Sometimes the child's birth date and the names of witnesses are recorded. Minutes of church meetings sometimes include birth information.

Dissenters: Church records
Anyone who did not adhere to the teachings of the Established Church of Scotland was considered a nonconformist or a dissenter. Dissenters could also include people who belonged to religious organizations that broke from the Established church. Dissenter groups kept separate records. In these records you may find baptisms, marriages, minutes of meetings, communion rolls, and other records of value.