The New York City Birth Index collection is fully searchable and fully accessible to all researchers.
Watch a free Collection Close-Ups webinar recording for this collection, in which the NYG&B team explains what you can find and how you can search it.
Collection Category: Vital Records | Collection Type: OCR | Location: New York City
This collection contains text searchable images of the official New York City birth index produced by the NYC Department of Health. Organized by year, names are arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the last name. The index represents births reported in all five boroughs of New York City from 1911 to 1927, with new volumes released on an ongoing basis. Volume 1 represents Manhattan, while Volume 2 represents the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Richmond (Staten Island). Names, dates of birth, and certificate numbers can be found in the index, the latter of which can be used to submit requests for birth certificates to the NYC Department of Health.
The 1911 volumes are of particular significance. Although Ancestry has a version of this index, NYG&B’s images are more legible (including the certificate numbers) and—most importantly—our collection is currently the only place online to find the 1911 Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island indexes.
Researchers can search all of the indexes using the search box or start browsing an individual volume by selecting any of the titles.
Read our introductory and comprehensive guides to finding New York vital records.