Most of our civil birth records cover the years 1837 to 2006
This should be her unmarried name and can only be used for births from 1911 onwards
England & Wales Births 1837-2006
Search for your England or Welsh ancestor in this online index of civil registration of births in England & Wales from 1837 until 2006. Birth records are a key source for your family tree. Once you discover your ancestor, you can use the information found on the transcript to order your ancestor’s original birth record.
See description
Search for your England or Welsh ancestor in this online index of civil registration of births in England & Wales from 1837 until 2006. Birth records are a key source for your family tree. Once you discover your ancestor, you can use the information found on the transcript to order your ancestor’s original birth record.
Learn about these records
In each you record, you will find a transcript and for those records before 1984, you can also view the original index. The birth, marriage and death records from 1984 onwards were recorded in a computer database only so there is no original image for records post-1984. Each transcript will include
- Name
- Birth year
- Birth quarter
- Registration month
- Mother’s last name
- District
- District number
- County
- Country
- Entry number
Since 1 July 1837, civil registration of births has been a legal requirement of all citizens of England and Wales. In order to find your ancestor’s born before 1837, it is best to search the parish registers. Birth records are a key source to creating your family tree.
All the civil birth records on Findmypast are name-indexed, which makes finding your ancestors so much simpler. The old birth indexes were page-indexed rather than name-indexed, meaning that to find your ancestors you had to check through pages of records and see if your ancestor was somewhere on the image. The original documents are held by the General Register Office (GRO). By using the information found within this index, you can request the original document of your ancestor’s birth. You will need to register with the GRO site and pay a small fee. A link to the order form is provided in the Useful links section.
Once you've discovered when and where your ancestor was born, married or died by using findmypast's birth, marriage and death records, you can order a certified copy of their birth, marriage or death certificate from the General Register Office (GRO). This service is available both to UK and non-UK residents and covers births, marriages and deaths registered in England and Wales, as well as certain registrations overseas.
English and Welsh birth, marriage and death certificates are considered public records, so anyone can order a copy of them. If you are enquiring about a more recent birth or death certificate (recorded within the last 50 years), the GRO will require more detailed information from you than for older certificates. The easiest way to order a certificate is online through the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk
The certificate ordering service is not connected to findmypast. If you have any queries regarding certificates, please contact the GRO directly by email, telephone or post using the details below. You can also order certificates from the GRO by contacting them in this way.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)300 123 1837
Address: Certificate Services Section
General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
PR8 2JD
Search tips
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Remember to double check the birth quarter, district, and country to make sure you have the right person before you order the original document. However, in some cases you may need to order more than one before you find the right person.
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The registration month will not always be the same as the individual’s birth month. For various reasons, a gap sometimes occurred between the time of birth of the time of registration of the birth.
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Once you find your ancestor, search Findmypast’s extensive collection of parish records. Most parish records are organised by county.