Rhode Island Birth Records and Announcements in Newspapers 1767 - 1999

How to Search Birth Records in Rhode Island

One of the most frustrating parts of family research is a lack of standardization regarding recordkeeping. Many states didn’t even keep records of births within their territory before a certain date, and birth records in Rhode Island are no exception.

We make it easy for you to find your family history by combining birth records from all the major collections in one place.

To aid in building your story, download our free guide on “Tips for Searching TITLES” to expand your research.

If you need to search the Rhode Island birth index, here’s what you need to know before you begin your research.

• Step One - Enter the first and last names of your relative. If you have any middle names, this will make your results more accurate. Alternatively, try surname research.
• Step Two - Add keywords, such as the town you believe your ancestor was born in or even the name of the hospital.
• Step Three - Exclude keywords to narrow down your results. Adding exclusions will prevent you from looking at the birth records of people with no relation to you.
• Step Four - Include a year range. Even if you don’t know the exact year when a specific person was born, entering a rough estimation could yield the birth record you’re searching for.
• Step Five - Change the sorting filters. Don’t just look at the first results that come up. Order your results by showing the best matches, looking at the latest entries, or looking at the oldest entries.

Tips for a Successful Rhode Island Birth Records Search

It’s not uncommon to be led astray by results for people who share similar names but are actually unrelated to you. One mistake could lead you down the wrong path, so it’s important to find the right relatives.

When searching through Rhode Island birth records, you can implement some important strategies to ensure you get accurate results.

Here are our top tips for a successful search of the Rhode Island birth index:

• Older records don’t always include the name of the person born, believe it or not. Instead, we recommend searching by surname, particularly when dealing with earlier records.
• Can’t find an ancestor? Search for other family members around the same period to find that elusive birth record.
• Search for common misspellings. Records were often compiled verbally, so mistakes were frequent.
• Look for the mother’s name. Illegitimate children were often registered under their mother’s names.

Sifting through birth records in Rhode Island can be exciting, but when you’re dealing with more than two centuries worth of history, it can get confusing quickly.

If you’re unsure where to start, consider beginning your research closer to the modern-day and working your way backward. Sometimes it’s better to begin your research with more recent relatives then working your way back to the past.