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.
South Carolina Birth Records
- Barnwell County Birth Records, 1804-1958
- Berkeley County, Birth Indexes
- Charles Town Register of St. Philip’s Parish, 1720-1758
- Charleston County Birth Registers, 1901-1926
- Charleston, Birth Registers, 1901-1926
- Colleton County Vital Records
- Darlington County Records, 1798-1923
- Florence County Delayed Births
- Lee County Birth Certificates/Applications (Delayed) 1791-1900
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Newberry County, Birth Indexes
- Saint Philip, Charleston, Births or Christenings, 1718-1810
- South Carolina Births and Christenings, 1681-1935
- South Carolina, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1766-1900
- South Carolina, Marriages, Births, and Deaths
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!