How can I find my father's birth records without knowing his last name at birth?

Question

My father passed away a few years ago and never knew his biological father. He took his step father's last name when he was about 9. Is there any way of finding his birth records without knowing his birth name? I know his first and middle name, his birth date, and where he was born. I would love to find out his "real" last name. Thank you.

Answer 1

The first step is finding out his name at birth.



To clarify some of the other answers, his marriage record won't help (unless he married at 8 years old). But, it sounds like you know your grandmother's and stepgrandfather's names, so you can find her marriage records. Her marriage record to grandpa will tell you his name. Her marriage record to husband #2 might have her first husband's name, assuming she didn't change it back. From there you can find dad's birth record and grandpa's death record.



Also, if he took stepdad's name legally, there should be a paper trail. Try finding court records for a name change. I'm not sure if this will work, but you can also try to order his social security application. You don't say how old your father is, when grandpa died, or where they're from, but the census might also help if they were living together when the most recently released one was taken. In the U.S. that's 1940.

Answer 2

You didnt' include location or time frame of his birth. In a few cases, it could be online.

Not knowing his bio father means either the parents were divorced, or he was born out of wedlock. Look for the marriage record of mom and step father..and what name she used to get married. If her maiden name, then she probably was not married at the time of his birth. Look for a birth under the maiden name. If she used something other than her maiden name.. then it is likely she was married before. Look for that marriage. Then look under that name.

Another option (depends on YEAR OF BIRTH) IS to look for mom in the census. You may find dad at (say) age 5, before she married the stepfather.

Taking the name of a stepfather was often done informally, without a legal adoption. This means, the original birth record was not changed. Adoptions legally (as we know them today) generally will amend the birth record to show the adoptive parent.

Location matters. www.familysearch.org for example, has full birth records for 1903 to about 1935. Calif birth index is also online there, although not sure of the inclusive dates.

You are welcome to email me though my profile with the details, and I'll see if I can't find it for you.

edit

meant to say, the birth records for Texas 1903 to 1935ish are online. Not all states have this.

Answer 3

You can't. You would need to know his surname, usually. If you use ancestry (this is a long shot) you could put in his first and middle names, date of birth and place (at least state) and his mothers Maiden name and something MIGHT show up. I found a cousin that way but it took me months

Answer 4

The best things you can find is marriage records (licenses, certificates) for your grandparents. Is there any family records that might have indication as to who your biological grandfather is? Any older relatives who might know something?



Your best bet is marriage records. Also, you could try to find his birth records using his mother's maiden name. Even your father's mother and stepfather's marriage certificate might have your grandmother's former married name.



Divorce records for your grandmother might also help in the search.

Answer 5

Unlly you will find anything without a full name.so you have to start from KNOWN information and work back.......... so his marriage cert may give you his real fathers name and/or his mothers name, ncluding her maiden name ( depends on where they married and what information is required) from that you could look for his mothers first marriage to find out who she married giving you the required surname tnd out more .....................

Answer 6

If you know his mother's maiden name you might search for marriage licenses for brides with that name in the county where they were and see who she married.