Age of individual
If you are looking for the age of your ancestor at the time of a specific event, the documents listed below will help you. 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.
Finding age with vital records
Vital records are good places to find an individual's age at the time of their marriage, divorce, and death. Vital records are available from either the county or the state where the event took place, depending on the year of the event.
If you are looking for a person's age at marriage and the marriage certificate is not available, many counties and states have similar vital records, such as marriage banns, marriage intentions, marriage bonds, marriage applications, marriage licenses, consent papers for marriage, marriage contracts, marriage returns, and marriage registers. To get the address where you must write to obtain any of these vital records, see the topic Resources by state.
Finding the minimum information for a vital record
To find a vital record, you must at least know the full name of the deceased for a death certificate, the full married name of one of the spouses for a divorce certificate, and the full name of the groom and/or the full maiden name of the bride for a marriage certificate. You must also know the approximate year of the event, and the state or county where the event took place.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
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.
Ancestry also has marriage records.
Finding age with church records
Church records can be good places to find an individual's age at the time of their marriage or death, because they often state either a person's age or date of birth.
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 marriage or death 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 age in church marriage or death 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 age with newspapers
Both wedding announcements and obituaries may give clues to an individual's age at the time of the event.
The directories listed below will help you find the current owners of old newspapers from the time and place when the wedding announcement or 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 age with a wedding announcement or obituary, you must at least know the approximate date of the event, the full name of groom and/or the maiden name of the bride for wedding announcements or the full name of the deceased for obituaries, and the state and city or town where the event took place (or where the announcement or obituary was likely to have been published).
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding age with military records
Veteran's Benefit Records may show the age at which a person entered the military. To get the address where you must write to obtain a military record, go to the topic Researching through military records, and see the category "Veterans' Records."
Finding the minimum information for military records
To find an individual's age in a military pension record, you must at least know the veteran's name, the branch of service, such as Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, the state from which the veteran entered the service, and the war in which the veteran served. If the period of service was after 1916, you must also know entry and release dates, military ID number, Social Security number, whether an officer or enlisted, and date of birth.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you aren't sure of the military branch or of the approximate time when the veteran served, look for military memorabilia an photos taken in uniform. These items can give you the information you need.
If the individual was a veteran who served and was killed in the Korean or Vietnam War, you may be able to find the age at death through the death records in the Military Index on the FamilySearch computer at your local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Family History Library has all other wars indexed on microfiche. You only need to know the war and the veteran's name. Local community and genealogy libraries may also have war indexes. Contact individual libraries for their holdings.
Finding age 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 age in census records, you must at least know the individual's 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 an age with cemeteries and cemetery records
Cemeteries and cemetery records are excellent places to look for an individual's age. In addition to looking at gravestones themselves, you can also check the cemetery records, if they exist. The records usually include at least names and death dates. While actually visiting the grave site is the best thing to do, you may also find a death date by searching the gravestone inscriptions that some organizations have transcribed. These transcriptions are described below.
To locate the burial site, first ask other family members if they know where any old family plots are. Where one family member is buried, it is likely that there are a few others. If you know to which church the individual belonged, you may want to ask the church if there was a particular cemetery where many church members of the era were buried. You can also check your local public and genealogy libraries for the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors, published in New York by the National Funeral Directors Association. This book lists cemeteries by location, and will at least give you a target list of cemeteries to search.
Once you have a target list of cemeteries, try calling before you visit. This may save you a fruitless trip because staff members may be able to search their records for you. If your ancestor is buried in the cemetery and you plan to visit the grave site, you should find out when the cemetery office is open so that you can stop in and find out exactly where the plot is. If there doesn't seem to be an office at the cemetery, try calling churches and funeral directors in the area. They may know where any cemetery records are located, if they exist
Finally, check with public libraries, genealogy libraries, and genealogy societies in the area where your ancestor may be buried. They may have or know about transcriptions from local cemeteries. In addition, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Works Project Administration, and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers have all transcribed selected gravestone inscriptions from throughout the United States. Contact the Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution or your local Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more information about their collections of gravestone transcriptions.
If you are unable to locate any cemetery records, you will have to visit your target cemeteries in person and walk up and down among the gravestones. Bring the family -- several pairs of legs and eyes are better than one pair.
When looking for cemetery records, many people use computerized cemetery records indexes to help them find the record that they need. Some libraries have computerized cemetery records indexes and you can also search cemetrary records on Ancestry.
Finding the minimum information for cemeteries and cemetery records
To find an individual's age in cemeteries and/or cemetery records, you must at least know the individual's name at time of death and possible areas where the individual may have been buried.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Occasionally you can find indexed cemetery records. These indexes provide you with a convenient way to find out whether or not your ancestor is in a particular cemetery. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
When looking for cemetery records, many people use computerized cemetery records indexes to help them find the record that they need. Some libraries have computerized cemetery records indexes and you can also search cemetrary records on Ancestry.
Another place to check for an age is a funeral home, because they often keep records about each individual that they deal with. Try calling several funeral homes in the area where your ancestor lived. You can get the names of funeral homes either through the phone book or the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors. This book may be available through local community libraries and genealogical libraries. The funeral homes you contact may have records about your ancestor, or may be able to tell you the names of funeral homes that existed when your ancestor lived in the area.
Finding age 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. Probate records often list an individual's spouse and children, and will often also state whether or not the heirs are minors. You can usually find probate records in the county where the person lived at the time of their death.
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 age 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 age with the Social Security Death Index
With the Social Security Death Index, you can get information regarding an individual's birth date, death date, Social Security number, state/county code of residence, last residence zip code, and the zip code where the death benefit lump sum payment was sent.
In addition, with a name, the Social Security number that you get from the Social Security Death Index, and $7, you can obtain a copy of the individual's original application for a Social Security card. This often contains much information of genealogical interest. Write to: Freedom of Information Officer, 4-H-8 Annex Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235.
You can search the SSDI online on Ancestry as well.
You also can access the Social Security Death Index in several other places. For example, many larger libraries have the Social Security Death Index on databases. In addition, you can use the index through the FamilySearch computer. This a computer system at the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Social Security Death Index is also available at the National Archives and some of the regional branches of the National Archives. Contact your local branch of the National Archives to find out whether or not they have the Social Security Death Index before you make a special trip. For addresses and phone numbers of the National Archives and each of the regional branches, see the topic National Archives.
Finding the minimum information for the Social Security Death Index
To find an individual's age in the Social Security Death Index, you only need to know the individual's name.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding age with apprenticeship records
Apprenticeship papers are good places to look for an individual's age. Apprenticeships normally lasted until the individual was 21 years old, so you can subtract the length of the apprenticeship from 21 years to get the individual's age at the time that they were bound into an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships were regulated by local courts, so check the courts in the area where your ancestors lived for apprenticeship papers. If the courts no longer have apprenticeship records, you may also find them in the holdings of local libraries, genealogical societies, and archives. Genealogical societies in the area may be able to tell you where local apprenticeship papers are located.
Finding the minimum information for apprenticeship records
To find an individual's age from apprenticeship papers, you must at least know the individual's full name at the time of their apprenticeship, and the area in which they lived when they became an apprentice.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items: