England and Wales Birth Registration Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of an index to births in registered in England and Wales from 1800-1920.

Record Content
The birth index generally lists:
 * Surname and given name of the father
 * Registration date
 * Age
 * Year, quarter, volume and page number
 * District
 * Line and event number
 * Child’s full name
 * Birth date

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know
 * Your ancestor’s name
 * The approximate year of birth

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:
 * Use the information in the index to obtain a copy of the birth certificate from the appropriate registration district.
 * Use the parents' names and the birth place to locate the family in census and church records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Knowing the district name and at least an approximate year in which the birth, marriage, or death occurred will reduce your search time.
 * Events are filed by the date registered, not the date they occurred (for example, a birth on 20 March which was registered on 6 April will be in the April-May-June quarter).
 * Indexes were prepared by hand and may contain copying errors (for example, "T" for "F") or omissions.
 * Persons with common names may be difficult to identify in the index.
 * A child born before the parents’ marriage may be registered under the mother’s maiden name.
 * Some children were registered as "male" or "female" if a name had not been selected before registration.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. Surnames are often found under unexpected spellings.
 * You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * A person may have been registered under a different name than he or she used later in life.

Related Websites
FindMyPast

Related Wiki Articles
England Civil Registration

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Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.