(This page's most recent update is
August 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.
West Virginia Birth Records
- Barbour County Birth Index
- Barbour County Birth List
- Barbour County Births 1853-1865
- Barbour County Vital Records, 1853-1969
- Barbour County Vital Records, 1914
- Barbour County, Births
- Berkeley County Births
- Berkeley County Births and Deaths: 1869-1899
- Berkeley County Vital Records, 1865-1970
- Boone County Birth Records, 1865-1907
- Boone County Births 1865-1890
- Boone County Index to Registers of Birth, Marriage, and Death Records: 1865-1883
- Boone County, Births Index
- Braxton County Vital Records, 1858-1875
- Braxton County, Births
- Brooke County Birth Index
- Brooke County Register of Marriages, Births, Deaths, 1853-1897; Birth Book, 1889-1905
- Cabell County Births, 1853-1912
- Cabell County Births, 1886-1899
- Cabell County, Births Index
- Calhoun County Birth Index
- Calhoun County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Inventories, Church Records
- Calhoun County Early Records Births 1855-1875, Marriages 1856-1875, Deaths 1855-1867
- Clay County Birth and Death Records, 1858-1968
- Clay County Births, 1858-1899; Deaths, 1858-1899; Marriages, 1858-1899; Wills, 1858-1899
- Clay County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Inventories and Cemetery Records
- Doddridge County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Doddridge County Birth Records, 1853-1896
- Doddridge County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Inventories
- Doddridge County, Births
- Early Records of Berkeley & Marion Counties, 1759-1923
- Early Records of Cabell and Mason Counties, W. Va.
- Early Records of Lewis, Mercer & Monongalia Counties 1799-1899
- Fayette County Births, 1866-1893
- Fayette County Deaths, 1866-1899; Marriages, 1830-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1830-1899; Births 1866-1893
- Fayette County, Births
- Gilmer County Births, 1853-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1853-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1845-1899; Marriages, 1853-1935
- Gilmer County Births, 1853-1914
- Gilmer County, Births
- Gilmer County, Register of Births, 1903-1904
- Grant County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Inventories and Church Records
- Greenbrier County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Greenbrier County Births and Marriages
- Greenbrier County Vital Records, 1853-1969
- Greenbrier County, Births Index
- Hampshire County Birth and Marriage Indexes
- Hampshire County Births and Deaths: 1888-1903
- Hampshire County Births, 1865-1880; Deaths, 1866-1894; Marriages, 1824-1828, 1865-1899
- Hampshire County Early Records
- Hampshire County Vital Records, 1824-1970
- Hancock County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Hancock County Births and Marriages
- Hancock County, Births
- Hancock County, Births Index
- Hardy County Births and Deaths
- Hardy County Births, 1853-1882; Deaths, 1853-1899; Marriages, 1795-1899
- Hardy County, Births Index
- Harrison County Birth Indexes
- Harrison County Vital Records Indexes
- Harrison County Birth and Death Records, 1853-1906
- Harrison County Deaths, Births, 1853-1970; Index to Births, Deaths, 1852-1933
- Harrison County Miscellaneous Records, 1801-1928
- Harrison County, Births
- Jackson County Births
- Jackson County Vital Records, 1853-1919
- Jefferson County Births, Deaths, 1853-1949
- Jefferson County, Index of Names Appearing in the Birth Records
- Kanawha County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Kanawha County Births, 1853-1890
- Kanawha County Registers of Births, 1853-1902
- Kanawha County, Births
- Lewis County Births, Deaths, 1833-1970
- Lewis County Births, Deaths, 1853-1899; Marriages, 1817-1864; Wills, Inventories, 1864-1899, 1853
- Lewis County, Births
- Lincoln County Birth Records, 1909-1917
- Logan County Birth Records
- Logan County Birth Records, 1889-1917
- Logan County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Wills and Bible Records 1872-1900
- Logan County Marriages, Deaths, Births, 1872-1892
- Logan County, Births Index
- Logan County, Births, 1872-1900; Deaths, 1776-1900; Marriages, Wills, 1873-1900
- Marion County Birth Records, 1860-1898
- Marion County Births 1853-1860
- Marion County Vital Records, 1853-1861
- Marion County Wills, Inventories and Church Records 1842-1900
- Marion County, Births
- Marion County, Births, 1865-1899
- Marshall County Births
- Marshall County Birth Records, 1853-1882
- Marshall County Births, 1853-1859; Deaths, 1853-1860; Marriages, Inventories, Wills, 1835-1899
- Marshall County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Marshall County, Births
- Marshall County, Births Index
- Mason County Birth and Marriage Indexes
- Mason County Vital Records, 1853-1968
- McDowell County Births, Marriages and Wills 1860-1900
- McDowell County, Births Index
- Mercer County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mercer County Births, Marriages, Deaths and Wills
- Mercer County Vital Records, 1853-1905
- Mineral County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mineral County Birth Records: Doctor’s Birth Records
- Mineral County Births, 1866-1869; Deaths, 1866-1899; Marriages, 1866-1899
- Mineral County Births, 1866-1899
- Mineral County Deaths, Births, 1865-1934
- Mingo County Births
- Mingo County Births, Marriages, 1895-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1884-1911
- Mingo County Births, Marriages, Wills, Inventories, Official Bonds
- Mingo County, Births
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Monongalia County Vital Records
- Monongalia County Births and Wills 1828-1906
- Monongalia County Births, Deaths, 1853-1924
- Monongalia County, Births
- Monroe County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Monroe County Birth Records, 1853-1917
- Monroe County Births, Deaths, List of Sales and Church Records 1831-1900
- Morgan County Births, 1861-1893; Deaths, 1866-1899; Marriages, 1820-1900; Wills, Inventories, 1820-1900
- Morgan County Births, 1866-1893
- Morgan County Vital Records, 1853-1875
- Morgan County Vital Records, 1865-1916
- Nicholas County Birth Records, 1853-1916
- Nicholas County Births, 1882-1899; Deaths, 1853-1891; Wills, Inventories, 1820-1899; Births, 1855-1899
- Nicholas County Miscellaneous Records, 1839-1949
- Ohio County Births, 1853-1914
- Ohio County Births, Deaths, Wills, 1853-1899
- Ohio County Church and Parish Records, 1828-1899
- Pendleton County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Pendleton County Births, 1853-1862; Deaths, 1853-1892; Land Owners; 1789-1804; Voters, 1790-1797; Surveys, 1789-1797; Marriages, 1843-1899; Wills, etc., 1791-1818, 1825-1899
- Pendleton County, Births Index
- Pleasants County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Pleasants County Births, 1852-1893
- Pleasants County Births, 1853-; Deaths, 1853-1893; Marriages, 1853-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1865-1899
- Pleasants County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1853-1965
- Pocahontas County Birth and Death Indexes
- Pocahontas County Births, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Church and Cemetery Records 1748-1935
- Preston County Births 1868-1882
- Preston County Births 1871-1882
- Preston County Births, 1868-1895
- Preston County Births, Marriages, Deaths and Wills 1871-1899
- Preston County Deaths, 1868-1886; Marriages, 1869-1881; Wills, 1862-1899; Births, 1868-1882
- Putnam County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Putnam County Birth Records, 1853-1900
- Putnam County Births, Marriages, Wills and Inventories 1846-1900
- Raleigh County Births, 1853-1875; Deaths, 1852-1872; Marriages, 1850-1875; Wills, Inventories, 1850-1900
- Raleigh County Births, Deaths, 1853-1941
- Raleigh County Births, Marriages, Deaths and Wills 1850-1900
- Raleigh County, Births Index
- Randolph County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Randolph County Births, Deaths, and Marriages, 1787-1899
- Ritchie County Vital Records Indexes
- Ritchie County Births, 1853-1872; Marriages, 1843-1864; Deaths, 1853-1874; Wills, Inventories, 1843-1881
- Ritchie County Register of Births, 1853-1905
- Ritchie County, Births Index
- Roane County Miscellaneous Records, 1856-1880
- Summers County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Summers County Birth, Death Records, 1871-1905
- Summers County Births, 1893-1899; Deaths,1871-1900; Marriages, 1871-1899; Wills, 1867-1900
- Summers County Births, Deaths, Marriages, Wills, Inventories and Church Records 1867-1900
- Summers County, Births
- Taylor County Birth, Death Records, 1853-1941
- Taylor County Deaths, 1854-1862, 1865-1899; Marriages, 1853-1899; Wills, 1844-1899; Births, 1877-1899
- Tucker County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Tucker County Births, 1856-1898; Deaths, 1856-1890; Marriages, 1856-1881; Wills, etc., 1854-1898
- Tucker County Births, 1856-1913
- Tucker County, Births Index
- Tyler County Births, Deaths, 1853-1915
- Tyler County, Births Index
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- Upsher County Births, 1853–1879; Deaths, 1853-1880; Marriages, 1851-1890; Wills, 1851-1899
- Upshur County Births 1853-1879
- Upshur County Births 1865-1879
- Upshur County Births, Marriages, Deaths Index, 1853-1889
- Upshur County, Vital Records, 1853-1970
- Wayne County Birth and Death Records, 1853-1898
- Wayne County Births, Wills, and Inventories, 1853-1881
- Wayne County, Births Index
- Webster County Births, 1888-1905; Deaths, 1888-1916; Marriages, 1888-1935; Wills, etc., 1890-1931
- West Virginia Ancestry – Births
- West Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1928
- West Virginia Births, 1853-1930
- West Virginia County Records, 1772-1859
- West Virginia Vital Records Indexes, by County
- West Virginia, Birth Certificates and Delayed Birth Certificates, 1852-1930
- West Virginia, Vital Statistics, 1853-1860
- Westmoreland County, Marriage Records, 1826-1850; Marriage License Bonds, 1786-1850; Marriage Registers, 1854-1908; Birth Registers, 1858-1895
- Wetzel County Delayed Births 1845-1970
- Wetzel County Births, 1854-1898; Deaths, 1854-1899; Marriages, 1854-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1847-1899
- Wetzel County Births, 1854-1899
- Wetzel County, Births
- Wirt County Births, 1870-1874; Deaths, 1888-1899; Marriages, 1854-1899; Wills, Inventories, 1848-1900
- Wood County Birth Records 1800-1919
- Wood County Birth Records 1853-1969; Index, 1853-1906, 1940-1954
- Wood County Birth Records, 1889-1934; Birth Index 1867-1934
- Wood County Births 1853-1866
- Wood County Births, 1853-1866; Deaths, 1853-1890
- Wood County Miscellaneous Records, 1801-1900
- Wood County, Births Index
- Wyoming County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Wyoming County Births 1853-1895
- Wyoming County Births, 1853-1895; Deaths, 1853-1895; Marriages, 1855-1890; Wills, etc., 1850-1900
- Wyoming County, Birth and Death Records, 1853-1969
- Wyoming County, Births
- Wyoming County, Births Index
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!