When I was growing up, there was a running joke that my grandmother was a year younger than her twin brother was. We had no way of knowing what the truth was because the birth certificate had been forged, until I got the idea to search online for birth data.

Background Information to Start the Records Search
First, you have to know this is an absolutely true story and yes my family is a little crazy. My grandmother, “Jan,” was born in either 1904 or 1905. Her birth certificate said 1905 but her twin brother, “Jon’s,” birth certificate said 1904.

Now, we all know there is no way that my great-grandma had twin babies a full year apart. This is just not happening and they were born in June. So, we can rule out December 31, 1904 and January 1, 1905.

The story goes: My grandma wanted to marry my grandpa but my great-grandparents said no because she was too young at the age of 17.

This made us wonder. Did they lie about my grandmother so she couldn’t get married or did they lie about her brother so he could join the army? My grandmother says she honestly did not remember, which one was the lie.

Simple Online Birth Search
The debate had gone on in our family for years but it was about to be solved with a birth records search. We went online and entered my grandmother’s name and the city she was born. It came up with a record but we wanted to check it against her twin brother’s name. Therefore, we went in and put his name in as well. Sure enough, up came a record for him as well.

You will not believe this, but according to the official records by grandmother and her twin were born a year apart. I thought this was odd, as this cannot be possible. Everyone knows that my grandmother and her brother are twins. It is even listed on the birth certificates as a multiple birth.

After a little more digging, I found the birth certificates were filed in 1922. This told me that they were indeed born in 1904 and that my grandmother was a year younger. I figure they filed the certificate so “Jon” could join the military. They also filed the false certificate so my grandmother could not marry my grandfather for another year.

Conducting Your Own Birth Search
Whatever your reasons to conduct a birth search, you might be surprised at what you find. You do need to realize like I did, that the further back you go, the more likely errors occur. Apparently, it was very easy for the birth certificates to be forged. It is still fun to find out. Start your birth data search today and see what you find.

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The most common reason for doing a birth search is locating the birth parents. If this is the case, you need to be aware of some basic regulations when it comes to searching for your birth parents.

Adoption Law Reminders:

• Each country and each state will have their own laws governing adoption. You might even run into different laws by county. The laws will effect at which age you can legally retrieve the information, what information you can obtain, and who can request the information.
• Some states have “open records.” This means that you can request to see the original birth and adoption information. At the time of writing, Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, and Oregon were such states. Other states will release the information with some restrictions.
• When seeking adoption information, you should look where the adoption took place. This could be different from where you were born.

Conducting a Birth Search

When you do begin searching, there are some things you need to keep in mind as well. Unless you have someone willing to give you the name of the birth father, the process may take awhile.

• Keep an adoption journal – Write everything you find out down. This way you can begin piecing the puzzle together. Every bit of information will help you find your birth parents.
• Try to locate the father first — The birth father is easier to find because he does not change his name. If you locate him, he may be able to help you find the birth mother.
• Register in Adoption Directories — You can go online and register with adoption directories. Several exist to help reunite adopted children and their families. They work by children and parents registering. Then hoping the other one registers as well.
• Online Databases — You can search through adoption databases. Some may tell you the name of the birth parent. Then, once you locate the name of the parent, you can search records for an address or a phone number to contact.

Preparing for First Contact

As harsh as it may sound, not all birth parents want to be found. You need to prepare for this fact. However, that does not mean you should not look or that siblings would not want to be found. A phone call or a letter is better than showing up on someone’s doorstep. It is also much safer. Call ahead and give them a chance to adjust to you coming back into their lives after all these years.

Finding birth parents is easier than ever. You can conduct your own birth search now and start looking for your birth parents today.

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