Thanks to the ease of searching birth records online, many people have taken up genealogy. This is wonderful and it has helped thousands of people trace their roots back generations.

In fact, just recently my family connected with a cousin who did not think he had any living relative left. Not only was our very large family thrilled to initiate another member to the clan, but also this lost member was overjoyed. He went from having no surviving family to literally hundreds of family overnight. That is what happens when you search birth records properly. However, you have to avoid the mistakes.

Mistake #1: Searching Paper Birth Records

When you are doing genealogy, there is no need to look for paper records. This only slows down your search and is a waste of money.

Search birth records online through birth records databases, and you will have much better luck. The records are available in an instant, and they are just as reliable.

Mistake #2: Check the Wrong Names

This is actually a common mistake. Many people forget that when a woman gets married her name changes. Therefore, when they look up her birth record, they look under the wrong name!

If you want to look up a birth record, you might be able to find it under the married name but you will have better luck if you have the maiden name of the woman.

Mistake #3: They Don’t Check Divorce Records

When you are trying to do genealogy, divorce records are your best friend. This may sound odd to you but in fact, they are a wealth of information.

When you look up divorce records, it lists the names of all the children from the marriage along with their ages. You could not ask for a better way to build a family tree than a divorce record. This one document lists everything you want to know. Then you can go pull up birth records from here to get all the minor details you need.

If you avoid these three mistakes, you will see that your family tree will start sprouting branches left and right. It is amazing how fast family comes out of the woodwork. All you need is to sit down and start searching the birth records online today. You will not be disappointed.

Re-Tweet This Post