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, a great number of 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 27 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 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also 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. Please also note that I have listed below only databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: 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.
(Updated December 2021; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Alamance County Birth Record Index, 1913-1961 Index to Delayed Births, 1871-1957 ; Births, 1913-1961
- Alamance County, Birth Indexes
- Alexander County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1913-1966
- Alleghany County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1879-1969
- Anson County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Anson County Miscellaneous Records
- Ashe County Ashe County Delayed Births and Deaths, 1913-1966; Marriage Records, 1799-1966; Index to Births, 1913-1946, 1799-1966
- Avery County Delayed Births, 1865-1949; Marriages, 1899-1977; Index, 1914-1970, 1865-1977
- Beaufort County Record of Delayed Births; Index to Vital Statistics
- Berkeley Births, Deaths and Marriages
- Bertie County Index to Vital Statistics, 1877-1959
- Bladen County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1961
- Brunswick County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Index
- Buncombe County Birth Record of Asheville, 1892-1904; Register of Deaths in Asheville, 1898-1909, 1892-1909
- Buncombe County Index to Births, 1887-1904, 1913-1956; Index to Deaths, 1892-1963; Marriages Registers, 1851-1961; Marriages Records,1851-1889
- Burke County Birth Index, 1913-1963
- Cabarrus County Index to Vital Statistics: Births, 1914-1965; Delayed Births, 1890-1965; Deaths, 1913-1965
- Cabarrus County Record of Adoptions, 1942-1966
- Caldwell County Index to Vital Statistics, Birth, Death, 1914-1967
- Camden County Genealogical Records of Camden County and Pasquotank County
- Camden County Index to Vital Statistics : Births and Deaths, 1913-1960
- Carteret County Index to Vital Statistics, 1870-1960
- Carteret County, Birth Records, 1864-1987
- Caswell County Birth Record Index and Record of Delayed Births, 1878-1963.
- Caswell County, Birth Indexes
- Catawba County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1909-1979
- Chatham County Index to Births, 1913-1985 ; Index to Delayed Births
- Chowan County Delayed Births, 1943-1985
- Chowan County Index to Births 1913-1958
- Chowan County Index to Delayed Births
- Clay County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1913-1970
- Cleveland County Index to Births and Deaths, 1913-1939; Index to Delayed Births, 1908- 1935
- Columbus County Index to Vital Statistics : Births, Deaths, 1913-1973
- Cumberland County Birth Records, 1913-1973
- Cumberland County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Currituck County Birth Records, 1914-1983
- Currituck County Index to Vital Statistics, 1914-1960
- Davidson County Vital Records, 1867-2006
- Davidson County Births and Deaths Index, 1954-1980
- Davidson County Index to Vital Statistics: Births & Deaths, 1914-1967
- Davidson County Miscellaneous Records, 1822-1946
- Davie County Birth Records, 1800-1988
- Davie County Index to Vital Statistics : Births & Deaths, 1913-1971
- Duplin County Birth Index, 1913-1981
- Duplin County Birth Index, 1913-1981
- Duplin County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Edgecombe County Birth Records, 1909-1987
- Edgecombe County Birth Records Index, 1914-1961 with Delayed Birth Records
- Edgecombe County Slave Related Documents 1780-1871
- Forsyth County Acknowledgement of Cohabitation as man and wife, 1820-1866
- Gaston County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, 1913-1962, Delayed Births, and Deaths, 1913-1962
- Gates County Index to Vital Statistics, Births and Deaths, 1913-1964
- Gates County, Birth Records, 1857-1995
- Graham County General Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1913-1969
- Granville County Delayed Birth Records 1870-1890
- Granville County Delayed Birth Records 1891-1900
- Granville County Index to Vital Statistics and Delayed Births, 1913-1961
- Greene County Delayed Birth Indexes
- Greene County Indexes to Marriages, Births, Deaths, 1876-1966
- Greene County, Birth Indexes
- Halifax County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1961
- Harnett County Index to Vital Statistics; Delayed Births, 1914-1967
- Haywood County Indexes to Vital Statistics, 1850-1965
- Henderson County Index to Vital Statistics, 1800-1867
- Henderson County, Birth Indexes
- Hertford County Index to Births and Deaths, 1911-1961
- Hoke County Vital Statistics, 1911-1970
- Hyde County Vital Records Indexes
- Hyde County Index to Vital Statistics, 1877-1958
- Iredell County Index to Vital Statistics, 1872-1965
- Jackson County Index to Delayed Births
- Johnston County General Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Jones County Index to Vital Statistics, 1914-1961
- Jones County Index to Vital Statistics: Delayed Births, 1872-1972
- Lee County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1876-1969
- Lenoir County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Lenoir County Index to Births 1914-1966
- Lenoir County, Birth Indexes
- Lincoln County Vital Records Index; Births and Deaths, 1913-1964, Marriage Index, 1869- 1964, and Marriage Records, 1851-1869
- Macon County Index to Vital Statistics; Births and Death, 1913-1966
- Madison County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1913-1968
- Martin County Birth Index, 1958-1962 and Delayed Births
- Martin County Births and Deaths Index, 1914-1957
- McDowell County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, 1914-1967; Delayed Births and Deaths, 1850-1975
- McDowell County, Birth Indexes
- Mecklenburg County Birth Index, 1865-2012
- Mecklenburg County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Indexes
- Mecklenburg County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1909-1947
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Mitchell County Vital Records
- Mitchell County Marriages, 1861-1969; Indexes to Births, Delayed Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1860-1970
- Mitchell County, Birth Indexes
- Montgomery County Vital Statistics Index, Births and Deaths, 1913-1964
- Moore County Index to Vital Statistics; Births and Delayed Births, 1913-1964
- Moore County Miscellaneous Records, 1785-1818
- Nash County Births
- Nash County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, and Delayed Births, 1913-1962
- New Hanover County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- New Hanover County Index to Delayed Birth Certificates
- New Hanover County Miscellaneous Records, 1843-1863
- New Hanover County Record of Births and Deaths 1903-1910
- New Hanover County Vital Statistics Index, 1913-1960
- North Carolina Birth Certificates, 1913-1922
- North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000
- North Carolina Births and Christenings, 1866-1964
- North Carolina Death Certificates,1906-1994 and Indexes 1906-1967; Still Births,1914-1953; Fetal Death Indexes,1950-
- North Carolina. County Court Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1964
- Northampton County Indexes to Births and Deaths, 1870-1960
- Onslow County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Onslow County Abstracts of Records 1734-1850
- Orange County General Index to Vital Statistics – Births, 1913-1961
- Pamlico County Vital Record Indexes
- Pamlico County Vital Statistics; Index to Births, Deaths, 1913-1968
- Pasquotank County General Index to Births of 1903-1959
- Pasquotank County Vital Records 1691-1822
- Pender County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, Delayed Births, 1913-1968
- Perquimans County Birth, Death, Marriage Records 1659-1739, Vital Statistics Index, 1913-1960, 1659-1960
- Perquimans County Certificates of Birth 1913-1930
- Perquimans County Delayed Births Index, 1882-1946
- Pitt County Births, Index, 1913-1962 and Index to Delayed Births
- Randolph County Births pre 1916
- Randolph County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1964
- Richmond County Index to Vital Statistics (Births and Deaths), 1914-1963
- Robeson County Index to Vital Statistics, 1911-1965
- Rowan County Historical Records
- Rowan County Vital Statistics Index, Births
- Rutherford County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Rutherford County Vital Statistics Index, Births, 1914-1946, Delayed Births, 1880-1932, and Deaths, 1913-1963
- Rutherford County, Miscellaneous Records, vol. II, 1750-1970
- Sampson County, Index to Births, 1880-1965
- Stanly County Vital Records
- Stanly County Index to Vital Statistics, Birth, Death, 1913-1953
- Stokes County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
- Stokes County Index to Vital Statistics; Birth and Death, 1913-1964
- Surry County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Surry County Birth Records Index, 1912-1963 and Delayed Births Record
- Swain County Marriage Register 1871-1959; Index to Delayed Births
- Transylvania County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1913-1969
- Transylvania County, Birth Records, 1913-1995
- Tyrrell County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1961
- Tyrrell County, Birth Records, ca. 1800-1986
- Union County Index to Vital Statistics, 1869-1968
- Union County, Birth Records, 1800-1981
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- Vance County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Vance County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1881-1969
- Vance County, Birth and Death Indexes, 1881-1969
- Vance County, Birth Indexes
- Wake County Birth Records 1908-1924
- Warren County Index to Births, 1914-1978
- Warren County, Birth Records, 1800-1991
- Washington County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, ca. 1901, 1910-1966; Deaths, ca. 1911-1966
- Washington County, Birth Records, 1912-1985
- Watauga County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1880-1969
- Watauga County, Birth Records, 1914-1984
- Wayne County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Wayne County Index to Births and Deaths, 1913-1965; Index to Delayed Births, 1891- 1914, 1891-1965
- Wayne County, Birth Records, 1800-1986
- Wilkes County Births
- Wilkes County Birth Index, 1913-1963; Delayed Birth Index, 1913-1964
- Wilkes County, Birth Records, 1800-1994
- Wilson County Index to Births, 1913-1958; Index to Deaths, 1913-1960
- Wilson County, Birth Records, 1800-1988
- Yadkin County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, 1914-1942
- Yadkin County, Birth Records, 1943-1995
- Yancey County Index to Vital Statistics: Delayed Births, 1865-1975; Deaths, 1913- 1986; Births, 1913-1940
- Yancey County, Birth Records, 1873-1986
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free North Carolina Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
