The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is December 2024)
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One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, baptism, and/or christening information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists, many indexes to birth and baptism collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific birth, baptism, or christening information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual birth documents themselves. These free online collections have millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth information that is not included in the lists below. These different types can be found in 32 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
If you are interested in baptism indexes that may include the birth date as well as baptism information, make sure and check out Church Records.
The lists below are specific birth, baptism, and christening indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Note: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
New York Birth Records
- Albany County Birth Records
- Albany First Presbyterian Births or Christenings, 1785-1870
- Albany First Reformed Dutch Church Births or Christenings, 1797-1850
- Albany, Guardianship, Birth Certificates, Affidavits, 1898-1919
- Albany, Second Dutch Reformed Church Births or Christenings, 1814-1850
- Allegany County Birth Records
- Allegany County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Amenia, Dutchess County Births or Christenings, 1749-1809
- Baldwinsville, N.Y. Vital Records: Marriages, 1883-1907, Births, 1883-1938, Deaths 1883-1963
- Brockport Births, 1925-1953
- Broome County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Broome County Records, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850
- Broome County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1847-1850
- Broome County Vital Statistics, 1847-1850, 1865, 1875
- Buffalo and Erie County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Buffalo Birth Records Index, 1850-1881
- Buffalo Miscellaneous Vital Records
- Buffalo Research, Vital & Archival Records
- Buffalo, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Records, 1812-1970
- Cato, Cayuga County Vital Records
- Cattaraugus (Seneca Indian) Reservation Records
- Cayuga County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Cayuga County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Cayuga County, Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1847-1850
- Charleston, Register of Marriages, Deaths, and Births, 1883-1909; Certificates of Delayed Birth Registration, 1942-1958
- Chautauqua County Vital Records
- Chemung County Birth and Death Indexes
- Chenango County Marriages, Births, Deaths before 1880
- Chenango County, Vital Records Reported before 1880
- Cincinnatus, Marriage, Birth, and Death Records, 1847-1860
- Cortlandville, Records of Births and Marriages, 1836-1849
- Delaware County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Delaware County Births, Deaths, Marriages, 1847-1848
- DeRuyter Weekly Gleaner Vital Records Sept. 16th, 1878 to Jan. 11th, 1883
- East Hampton, Suffolk Births or Christenings, 1699-1746
- Essex County Births
- Franklin County Vital Records Indexes
- Fulton County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Fulton County Vital Records, 1847-1849, 1868-1871, 1875, 1889
- Genesee County, Births, Marriages and Death Notices
- Glen, Register of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, 1884-1910; Delayed Registration of Births, 1930-1970
- Hamilton County Births and Marriages
- Hamilton, Deaths, Births, and Marriages from Newspapers Published in Hamilton, 1818-1886
- Hamilton, Deaths, Births, and Marriages from Newspapers Published in Madison County, 1818-1886
- Herkimer County Birth Records
- Herkimer County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Herkimer County Vital Records 1847-1849
- Herkimer County Vital Records, 1847-1849
- Huntington (including Babylon), Long Island, Vital Statistics, Marriages, Births & Deaths, 1847-1848-1849
- Jefferson County Vital Records
- Kings County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Kings, Richmond and Queens County, New York Birth Database
- Lenox, County of Madison, Record of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1849
- Lewis County Vital Records Indexes
- Lewis County Birth and Death Card Index, 1848-1851
- Madison County Marriages and Deaths from Early Madison County Newspapers and Record of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Cazenovia 1847-1848
- Madison County Marriages, Births, Deaths before 1870
- Madison County Marriages, Births, Deaths before 1870
- Madison County, Lenox Baptist Church (Clockville) Records
- Manhattan (New York County) Birth Records
- Manhattan, Births Reported in 1901
- Manhattan, Births Reported in 1902
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Miscellaneous Vital Records by County
- Monroe County Vital Records
- Montgomery County Birth Records
- Montgomery County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Montgomery County, Canajoharie Radii, Marriages, Births, Deaths
- Montgomery County, Town of Florida, Records of Births, 1884-1922
- Montgomery County, Town of Root, Records of Births, 1847-1914
- Montgomery County,Town of Canajoharie, Register of Births, 1884-1934
- New Dorp, Richmond Moravian Church Births 1749-1862
- New Woodstock and surrounding Areas Marriages, Births, Deaths 1912-1926
- New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962
- New York Church Vital Records by County
- New York City Birth Index
- New York City Birth Index
- New York City Birth Index 1879-1909
- New York City Birth Records
- New York City Births, 1846-1909
- New York City Geographic Birth Index
- New York City, Church of the Transfiguration Records, 1847-1938
- New York City, Geographical Birth Index, 1880-1917
- New York City, Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church Records, 1862-1955
- New York County, Birth Index (partial)
- New York Historical Society, Manuscript Collections (Birth Cartificates) Relating to Slavery
- New York State Birth Index
- New York State Birth Index 1881-1942
- New York State Vital Records mid-1800s by County
- New York, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1704-1962
- New York, Department of Health, Manhattan Birth Index Cards, 1866-1897
- New York, New York, Extracted Birth Index, 1878-1909
- Niagara County Miscellaneous Vital Records
- Niagara County Vital Record Card Index
- Norwich Newspaper Items 1847-1856, Local Newspaper Index to 1940
- Oneida County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Onondaga County Miscellaneous Records
- Onondaga Gazette 1846-1869 Miscellaneous Newspaper Extracts
- Ontario County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Orange County Records
- Orleans County Births
- Orleans County Birth, Marriage, and Death Returns from Various Towns, 1847-1849
- Otsego County Birth Records
- Otsego County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Otsego County, Birth Index
- Palatine, Register of Births, 1882-1908; Delayed Certificates of Birth, 1922-1941
- Palmyra Births, Marriages and Death Notices 1886-1895
- Pelham, Westchester County, Births, Deaths, Marriages, 1849-1850
- Port Richmond, Dutch Reformed Church Births 1696-1790
- Preble, Cortland County, Vital Records, 1847-1860
- Rennselaer County–Births, 1846-1850
- Rensselaer County Birth Records
- Rensselaer County Church Vital Indexes
- Rensselaer County, Birth Index
- Richmond County Birth Records
- Richmond County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Richmond, Saint Andrew’s Church, Births 1752-1796
- Rochester Public Library, Birth Search
- Saratoga County Birth Records
- Saratoga County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Saratoga County, Birth Index
- Saratoga Springs, Index to Record of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1848-1850
- Schenectady County Birth Records
- Schenectady County, Birth Index
- Schoharie County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Schoharie County Vital Records Indexes
- Schoharie County Miscellaneous Records, 1851-1921
- Schuyler County Online Vital Records
- Sherburne, Chenango County Vital Records 1847-1850
- St. Johnsville, Record of Births, 1883 to 1934
- St. Johnsville, Records of Births, 1891 to 1915
- St. Lawrence County Births, Marriages and Deaths 1847-1849
- St. Lawrence County Vital Records Indexes
- St. Lawrence County from the Gouverneur Herald, Births, Deaths, and Marriages 1864-1902, as clipped
- Steuben County Vital Records Indexes
- Suffolk County Birth Records
- Suffolk County Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Suffolk County Vital Records Indexes
- Syracuse and Onondaga County Vital Records
- The Bronx (Bronx County) Birth Records
- Tioga County Miscellaneous Records, 1829-1964
- Tompkins County Birth and Death Indexes
- Troy Daily Times Vital Records 1861-1881
- Troy Daily Whig Vital Records 1834-1863
- Troy, Society of Friends, Troy Monthly Meetings, Birth and Death Records, 1813-1911
- Truxton and Cuyler, Cortland County, Vital Records, 1847-1849
- Ulster County Births, Deaths and Marriages (1847-1850, 1873-1884)
- Ulster County, Birth Records, 1847, 1848, 1849
- Ulster County, Town Clerk Returns, Births Deaths Marriages 1847 to 1850 and 1873 to 1884
- Unadilla, New York and Vicinity (Otsego, Delaware and Chenango Counties) Marriages, Births and Deaths 1870s, 1880s and 1890s
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- Utica Vital Records 1831
- Van Buren Vital Records
- Vital Records from the Newspapers of Cortland County, New York, 1815- 1840
- Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850
- Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834
- Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850
- Warren County Birth Records
- Washington County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Washington County Birth and Death Records, 1847-1849
- Wawarsing, Ulster, Dutch Reformed Church Births 1743-1852
- Wayne County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Wayne County Vital Statistics and Index, 1847-1850
- Westchester Records 1665-1827
- Yates County Birth Records
- Yates County Vital Records Indexes
- Yates County, Swann Vital Records Collection, 1723-2009
- Yates County, Swann Vital Records Collection, 1723-2009
- Yonkers, Birth and Death Registration and Indexes, 1875-1916
- Yonkers, Birth Records and Indexes, 1875-1916
- Yorktown, Westchester County, Vital Records 1848-1849
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!