Search The England & Wales birth 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