West Virginia Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover births from 1853 to 1970.

Record Description
Birth entries were recorded in pre-printed register books containing many entries per page beginning in 1853. Earlier records were handwritten, but were usually typewritten by 1930.

Record Content
County birth records contain some or all of these genealogical facts:


 * Name of the child
 * Birth date and place
 * Registration date
 * Sex
 * Color or race
 * Father's name, occupation and residence
 * Mother's name and residence (maiden name sometimes given)
 * Father and mother's age, color, nationality and birthplace
 * Whether the child was born dead
 * Number of children in this birth
 * Total number of children born to this mother and number now living
 * Informant's name, address and relationship

How to Use the Records
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Use the locator information in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the birth records. Some on-line indexes, such as indexes to FamilySearch Historical Records, will take you directly to an image. Compare the information in the birth record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor’s birth record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.

It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile birth entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents. Continue to search the birth records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were born in the same county or nearby.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in birth records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Record History
Clerks of each County Court recorded births that were reported by parents, doctors and midwives beginning in 1853. The state of West Virginia began collecting births from the counties in 1917. From 1853-1879, about 15% of the births were recorded; from 1880-1920, coverage increased to about 65%. By 1925, nearly 100% of the births were recorded.

Why the Record Was Created
The state required counties to begin recording births to document the occurrence of a birth and to track public health issues. Delayed registration of births allowed persons whose birth was not recorded to obtain a birth certificate, usually in order to receive government benefits.

Record Reliability
The birth date and place, residence, and other facts that were current at the time the birth occurred are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation. Other data such as the parents' age or birth place have a greater chance of error because they are based on the memory of the informant.

Known Issues with This Collection
The images for the West Virginia Births, Deaths and Marriages 1853-1970 can be found at the West Virginia Culture Site.

If you have issues with any of the published records, please contact the web site above.

Related Web Sites
West Virginia Birth Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * West Virginia
 * West Virginia Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

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
"West Virginia Births, 1853-1930." index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org): accessed 13 April 2011. entry for Charles Kenneth Black, born 6 February 1919; citing Birth Records, FHL microfilm 08,257; Gilmer County Courthouse, Glenville, West Virginia.

Sources of Information for This Collection:
"West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," index, FamilySearch; (http://familysearch.org), from Digital images of copies of originals housed in County Courthouses throughout West Virginia. Birth records. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.