The More Birth Certificates The Better

If it has been filled out properly, a birth certificate can contain an incredible amount of information. Even if you think you already know everything you need to know about an individual, it is still wise to get a copy of the birth certificate. You may have gotten information about your grandfather second-hand from your aunt and there may be holes in what she knows. Maybe she knew your grandfather’s mother’s maiden name, but the spelling was wrong. The point is, it never hurts to at least verify the information you have been given.

There are generally three types of birth certificates:

1. Original – this is the record filed at the time of birth

2. Amended – this is a birth record that has been revised to include corrections and/or new information

3. Delayed – this is a birth certificate filed years after the birth because there was not an original certificate filed

Of course, the further back you go in your family the less likely you are to find original birth certificates and the less likely it is that they were filled out in full. However, you will never really know until you track down the record and have a look at it. You will never know what gems are out there until you start digging.

A fully filled out birth certificate will give you most of, if not all of, the following information:

Name, race, and gender of the child

Place and date of birth

Name of father

Name of mother (including maiden name)

Age, race, occupation, and place of birth of both mother and father

The number of children in the family and the number this child is in the family

Witnesses to the birth

You will need to prove who you are in order to get a copy of the certificate, unless the person has been deceased for some time. It depends on which state or country you are getting the record from as to what information you will need to provide, but you may need to provide photo identification and you may need to prove your relationship to the person whose name is on the certificate. You may even need to prove the person is in fact deceased.

No matter what hoops you need to jump through to obtain a birth certificate, be thankful those hoops are there. Birth certificates are very private documents and if one fell into the criminal hands it could be used to commit fraud. It could also reveal illegitimacy or adoption, which may be a shock to the family, although useful for researching the family tree. To continue on your journey into your family’s past, start collecting those birth certificates and remember, one birth certificate will most likely lead to another until you get to the point where you must research parish records.