Step-By- Step

The General Register Office birth index shows mothers’ maiden names between 1837 and 1917, allowing researchers to identify all children born to a specific couple – very handy if your ancestors had a common surname

1

Visit www.gro.gov.uk and click ‘Order certificates online’, followed by ‘Search the GRO historical birth and death indexes…’. You must create a free GRO account if you don’t have one.

2

Once you have logged in, click ‘Search the GRO Indexes’ and select the ‘Birth’ checkbox. You can only search within a four-year timeframe and by one gender at a time.

3

You will see a list of births matching your search, including details of the mother’s maiden name. Click through to order a hard copy of the full birth certificate (£9.25), or a PDF (£6).