What is the Births Index?

It is an index to the births registers that have been produced since compulsory civil registration of births began in England and Wales on 1st July 1837 (although penalties for non-registration were not introduced until 1875). The index is maintained by the General Register Office (GRO).
The births registers themselves are not available to the public but anyone can inspect the index to the registers.
The details given in the births index may be helpful in themselves but they are usually used to find the details necessary for ordering a copy of a birth certificate.
In particular, the births index gives you the 'GRO index reference' for each birth. The 'GRO index reference' consists of the details given in the volume and page columns for each birth entry.
On the GRO web site you can see example extracts from the births index for different periods.
For a useful guide to how the births index is arranged and what it contains, click the link 'Family History at the FRC' on the Family Records Centre's 'Research' page.
See also Where can I search the births index?

Page last updated: 27th January 2006