Names of children
An individual's children's names can usually be found on any of the documents listed below. If you have the minimum information required to find one of these documents, select the name of that document. The items in the list are ordered from most to least important. If you do not have the minimum information required, read the paragraph below this list.
Make sure to check photo albums, scrapbooks, diaries, and family Bibles at home. See the topic Finding information at home for more information. Also check for local histories. See the topic Finding previous research.
Try looking at obituaries for the parents, as well as gravestones and cemetery records. They are likely places to find information about an individual's children. For help locating cemeteries and cemetery records, see the topic Locating cemeteries and cemetery records.
Finding children's names with census records
Beginning in 1850, the census recorded the age of each individual in the family at their last birthday. To find out if your ancestor appears in an 1850 or later census, it's easiest to search databases online. Ancestry's census collections have both digitized and scanned copies of every US Census. Even if you don't find the exact name that you need in the index, it is worth it to start looking at all records for families with that surname in the state, as long as the surname isn't too common. For example, if you are looking for Roberto Zubilaga, but only find John Zubilaga and Gianni Zubilaga in the index, look at those records. Using this method, you may come across the family that you are looking for.
At many libraries you can find bound or digital indexes for pre-1880 censuses. Indexes are organized by state and list individuals in alphabetical order by surname, so you don't need to know the county. Different indexes contain different information that will help you find the census record. Some just give you the county that the person lived in; others tell you more. You can find bound indexes at the National Archives and the National Archives regional centers , the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branch Family History Centers , and many other libraries. Different locations have different indexes, so check more than one library if you don't find the index that you need. In addition, Soundex indexes are available, with some exceptions, for the years 1880 to 1920. For information about Soundex, see the topic Soundex: what it is and how to use it.
Once you locate your ancestor's name in an index, you will want to look at microfilm copies of the original census records. The original records will help you find the information you need and verify that you have found your ancestor, and not just someone with the same name. Pre-1940 census records are available at the National Archives and National Archives regional centers. Also check with your local public and genealogy libraries, because they may have census records or be part of an interlibrary loan system. In addition, your local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may either have census records or be able to get copies of them for you.
Access to post-1940 census records is restricted to immediate relatives and descendants. If the individual whose records you are searching for is still living, you must have their written permission to obtain a copy of the record. If the individual is deceased, you must have a certified death certificate. Write to: Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47131. They will send you a form that you must fill out and return with a fee.
You may also want to check the information contained in state and local censuses. Not all states and localities took their own censuses and the contents vary from state to state. However, sometimes the information is quite valuable. Ancestry has a selection of state census records online , and you can also contact libraries, state archives, and genealogy societies in the area where your ancestors lived. They should be able to tell you if any exist and where you might find them. The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is another possible source.
Finding the minimum information for census records
To find an individual's children's names in census records, you must at least know the individual's full name, the state, and the county in which the individual lived when the census was taken. If you are using census records for 1870 or earlier, you can probably use an index that only requires the state and surname.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding children's names with probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. You can usually find probate records in the county where the person lived at the time of their death. Probate records often state the names of an individual's children, particularly if they were heirs or were placed with a guardian or in an adoption home.
To get a copy of an individual's probate packet or probate estate papers, contact the county clerk, town clerk, or probate clerk where the individual lived at the time of death. For county courthouse phone numbers and addresses, see our Resources by county . The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has a large collection of probate records on microfilm, both from the United States and from foreign countries.
For more information about court records, see the topic Court records.
Finding the minimum information for probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. To find an individual's children's names in probate records, you must at least know the individual's full name at time of death, the approximate date of death, and the county or town in which the individual lived at the time of death.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Probate record indexes and abstracts have been created in many counties. These indexes can provide you with the information you need to access the record, even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding children's names with vital records
A divorce record is the best place to find an individual's children's names. This is because they list who will have custody of the children and the children's names. Divorce records are available from either the county or the state where the divorce took place, depending on the year of the divorce.
To get the address where you must write to obtain a divorce record, see the topic Resources by state.
Finding the minimum information for vital records
To get a copy of a divorce record, you must at least know the full married name of one of the spouses, the approximate year of the divorce, and the state or county where the divorce took place.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
Even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records, you're not completely out of luck. Indexes to vital records have been made for some states and counties. These indexes provide you with the information you need to access the original record. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding children's names with church records
Church records can be good places to find an individual's children's names. If you know the church that the parents attended, you may find a christening or baptism record for their children.
The books listed below can help you locate your ancestors' church records by telling you who currently has the records belonging to your ancestors" church. You can find these books in a public or genealogical library. Of course, if you live close to your ancestors' church, you should go directly to the church and ask the staff for assistance in locating the records that you need.
- The Handbook of American Denominations, by Frank Mead
- The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches and Reformed Churches , edited by the National Council of Churches
- List of Historical Records Survey Publications , by the Works Projects Administration
- State Historical Records Surveys , by the Works Projects Administration
Once you locate the records that belong to your ancestors' church, the current custodian of the records should be able to direct you in your search for the baptism or christening record that you need.
Another good place to look for both American and foreign church records is among the microfilm records at the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their church records are organized first by state, then county, and then town. Unless the town that you are searching for had very few churches, knowing a denomination will make your search easier.
Finding the minimum information for church records
To find an individual's children's names in church baptism or christening records, you must at least know the individual's name, and either the name of the church where the ceremony was performed or the name of the clergyman that appears on the certificate.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you can find out the denomination of your ancestor's religion, you can try contacting all of the churches of that denomination in the area where you believe your ancestor lived. If they have records from the corresponding time period, they should be able to tell you whether or not your ancestor was a church member. If their records do not go back far enough, they may be able to tell you if any other churches of that denomination existed in the area at the time and where their records may be.
Finding children's names with newspapers
Obituaries normally list an individual's surviving relatives, which may include children.
The directories listed below will help you find the current owners of old newspapers from the time and place when the obituary was published. If the individual spoke a foreign language, check to see if there was a newspaper in that language, too. Once you have located the current owners, you can request to search the appropriate copies. The current owners should be able to direct you in your search.
- Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals, available at most community libraries.
- Winifred Gregory's American Newspaper, available at community and genealogical libraries
The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) microfiche. The OCLC has a database of the U.S. Newspaper Program National Union List. You can access the OCLC at most university libraries and some community libraries.
Finding the minimum information for newspapers
To find an individual's children's names in an obituary, you must at least know the approximate date of death, the individual's full name, and the state and city or town where the death took place (or where the obituary was likely to have been published).
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items: