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Births & Baptisms
Introduction
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For information on the following record repositories mentioned on this page see:
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Since December 20, 1908, Ohio state law has required the recording of all births on standard birth certificate forms. Prior to that date Ohio counties and some cities began keeping birth records. Birth records at Hamilton County Probate Court run from 1863 to 1908. The City of Cincinnati also created birth records from 1874 to 1912. Many births were not recorded, but registration improved by the turn of the 20th century. Church baptismal records provide supplemental information, particularly for births prior to these dates and births not registered. Birth dates and parentage can sometimes be determined from Death Records, Death Notices and Obituaries, and Cemeteries.
19th Century Baptismal Records
Protestant Baptisms
The five HCGS books, Selected Hamilton County, Ohio, Church Baptism Records – Early through 1899, contain indexes of Protestant baptisms in Hamilton County, mostly in Cincinnati. Roman Catholic baptisms are not included in this series (see below). Each entry in the index includes a reference to the source microfilm. To obtain information from these books:
See "To obtain a copy of the original record" below.
Roman Catholic Baptisms
HCGS has published six indexes authored by Jeffrey G. Herbert and Julie M. Ross of baptisms from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati – five indexes of over 210,000 baptisms in Hamilton County and one of 18,800 baptisms outside Hamilton County. These indexes contain for each baptism: name of child, date of baptism, father's and mother's names if available, church, and record page if available. The source materials for these works are the microfilm copies of original baptismal registers which were kept by the individual parish churches, and are stored at the Archives of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
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See "To obtain a copy of the original record" below.
Published Full Indexes (Roman Catholic Baptisms)
The full indexes are published in the books listed above and contain for each baptism: name of child, date of baptism, father's and mother's names if available, church, and record page if available. The books are available:
- Copies, excluding the 1860s and 1870s volumes, are available at the Cincinnati Famly History Center (FHC) of the LDS located in Norwood. For more info on this location.
Public Online Abbreviated Indexes (Roman Catholic Baptisms)
Abbreviated indexes are available online at the followng links that contain the name of each child and the year of baptism for each baptism:
From the record found in the abbreviated index a search can more readily be made of the published full index described above to find the actual date of baptism, parents' names, and the specific church.
To obtain a copy of the original record (Protestant or Catholic)
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For Protestant baptisms indexed in the "Selected ..." series of books visit the CHPL, CHLA or LDS Family History Center to view and copy the original baptismal records from microfilm. The source microfilms referred to in the index for the original baptismal records are available at the CHPL, CHLA, and LDS. NOTE: The LDS is digitizing their microfilms and placing them online on their FamilySearch.org website. These are available to registered users of the website (free). Some of the microfilms referenced in the Selected... series are now available online. Go to the FamilySearch.org catalog search page, log into the website, click on Film/Fiche Number under Search For and enter the film number in the box. In the resultant search if the film number has a little camera icon click on that.
- Obtain copies of the original Roman Catholic baptismal records from the Historical Archives of the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (fee required) or from the FindMyPast website (free to retrieve index listings, but fee for transcripts and copies).
1863 - 1908 Civil Birth Records
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Images of birth record index cards for the City of Cincinnati from 1874 to 1912 are in a searchable database, Cincinnati Birth and Death Records, 1865-1912, created by the University of Cincinnati Archives & Rare Books Library.
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Hamilton County Probate Court recorded births from 1863 to 1908. The best source for these records is Ohio, County Births, 1841 – 2003, a searchable FamilySearch database. Probate Court’s Birth Records (1863-1908) has a typed index rather than a search engine. Each record spans a single line across two pages, so scroll down to see the next page.
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Delayed birth registrations for births as early as the 1860s are in Ohio, County Births, 1841 – 2003. Filed between 1941 and 1964, these records contain extensive details. The FamilySearch index brings up the first page of the record. Go forward one page to see the second page of the record and more information.
Post-1908 Birth Records
- The Ohio Department of Health holds birth certificates from December 20, 1908 to the present. Vital Records has instructions and forms for ordering a birth certificate from the state office. However, if you know where the person was born within Hamilton County, such as within the cities of Cincinnati or Norwood or elsewhere in the county, you can also order the certificate from:
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